Had I not this or this I said

Had I not This, or This, I said,
Appealing to Myself,
In moment of prosperity -
Inadequate - were Life -

"Thou hast not Me, nor Me" - it said,
In moment of Reverse -
"And yet Thou art industrious -
No need - hadst[^a1] Thou - of us -"?

[^a1: hadst | had'st]

My need - was all I had - I said
The need did not reduce -
Because the food - exterminate -
The hunger - does not cease -

But diligence - is sharper -
Proportioned to the chance -
To feed opon the Retrogade -
Enfeebles - the Advance -