Who Am I?

I am the basis of all wealth, the heritage of the wise, the thrifty and the prudent.
I am the poor man's joy and comfort, the rich man's prize, the right hand of capital,
the silent partner of many thousands of successful men.
I am the solace of the widow, the comfort of old age,
the cornerstone of security against misfortune and want.

I am handed down to children, through countless generations, as a thing of greatest worth.
I am the choicest fruit of toil.
Credit respects me, yet I am humble.
I stand before every man bidding him know me for what I am, and possess me.
I grow and increase in value through countless days.

Though I seem dormant, my worth increases, never failing, never ceasing.
Time is my aid and population heaps up my gain.
Fire and the elements I defy for they cannot destroy me.
My possessors learn to believe in me, invariably they become envied.
While all things wither and decay, I survive.  The centuries find me younger, increasing in strength.

The thriftless speak ill of me and the charlatans of finance attack me.
I am trustworthy; I am sound.
Unfailing, I triumph, my detractors are disproved.
Minerals and oils come from me and I am the producer of food, the basis for ships and factories,
and the foundation of banks.
Yet I am so common that thousands, unthinking and unknowing, pass me by . . .

I Am Well-Selected Land

Michael H. Myers