Lost Brother

I really liked the poem Lost Brother by Stanley Moss. Even though on the surface it's talking about two trees, the deeper hidden meaning is very real, raw and something many people struggle with daily.
I thought of the author as a younger brother tree who had been separated from his brother long ago, and was now remembering his older brother's life: "when I heard he was cut down.."
When the tree talks about his mother, I thought of Mother Nature. Every living organism has a purpose on Earth, whatever it may be, and if it tries to be something it's not, it's ruining itself. Life is short to be upset about the small things!
The poem talks about how the tree survived "impossible locations, at elevations over ten thousand feet in extreme weather." It persevered - everyone has their ups and downs, it's part of life. He had friends, and little "creatures old and young he sheltered" needed him to protect them against the brittle cold.
Towards the end I think Moss is trying to make a statement about how precious our environment is. If we keep tearing down animal habitats sooner or later there will be no more animals left.
My interpretation of the poem is to remind people how important they are to society - even when they feel there is nothing left, someone or something still needs them, like the "black-tailed jackrabbits and horned lizards." It's also hinting at how we judge ourselves against everyone we know. How can we be the best we're supposed to be if we are constantly trying to be someone else? People, animals, plants, and microorganisms were put on the face of the earth for a reason. To disrupt the animals kingdom by destroying habitats, food, and our source of oxygen will turn around and hurt us in the long run. We as a society, need to preserve the beautiful earth for as long as we possibly can, for what would we do if it all just disappeared?