The City Dead-House + 

By the city dead-house by the gate, + 

As idly sauntering wending my way from the clangor, + 

I curious pause, for lo, an outcast form, a poor dead prostitute brought, + 

Her corpse they deposit unclaim’d, it lies on the damp brick pavement, + 

The divine woman, her body, I see the body, I look on it alone, + 

That house once full of passion and beauty, all else I notice not, + 

Nor stillness so cold, nor running water from faucet, nor odors morbific impress me, + 

But the house alone⁠—that wondrous house⁠—that delicate fair house⁠—that ruin! + 

That immortal house more than all the rows of dwellings ever built! + 

Or white-domed capitol with majestic figure surmounted, or all the old high-spired cathedrals, + 

That little house alone more than them all⁠—poor, desperate house! + 

Fair, fearful wreck⁠—tenement of a soul⁠—itself a soul, + 

Unclaim’d, avoided house⁠—take one breath from my tremulous lips, + 

Take one tear dropt aside as I go for thought of you, + 

Dead house of love⁠—house of madness and sin, crumbled, crush’d, + 

House of life, erewhile talking and laughing⁠—but ah, poor house, dead even then, + 

Months, years, an echoing, garnish’d house⁠—but dead, dead, dead. + 