I Know I Am Selfish Poem by Francis Duggan

I know I am selfish and no need to tell me
That what in others I dislike in my own self I do see
But the seed of selfishness it is in us all
In our own ways we can be so very small.

I know I am selfish to that I say so
You are telling me something that I already know
But you only see in me what you see in you
That we see ourselves in others happens to be true.

I know I am selfish but that's not my only flaw
To be selfish is not breaking any man made law
I would be in prison if such were a crime
With billions of others like me serving time.

You say I am selfish tell me something new
I am one of many my type are not few
And as for you well you are not the most unselfish person I've known
But the flaws we see in others in ourselves we disown.