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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
TENEMENT CHILD, by ELLA COLTER JOHNSTON
First Line: She lived upon a dingy street
Last Line: She knew. She knew!
Subject(s): Slums; Tenements
First Line: She lived upon a dingy street
Last Line: She knew. She knew!
Subject(s): Slums; Tenements
She lived upon a dingy street --
Her home a sordid tenement --
And in the city's rush and roar
Her days were spent.
But she could shut her eyes and be
Transplanted to a sunny hill --
Breathe clover-scented breezes there
And roam at will.
Though all her dreary days were passed
In crowded room and crowded street,
Her spirit was not cramped. It far
Outstripped her feet.
Seeking green open spaces she
Had known for one enchanted day
Where skies were wide and happy children
Laughed at play.
Dreaming, she gazed across high roofs
Into a patch of smoke-dimmed blue.
She had no doubt what heaven would be.
She knew. She knew!
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