my father moved through dooms of love

by E. E. Cummings

              34

my ph4ther |v|O\/eD +#/^ough D()oms of l0v3
th/~ou9|-| s4Mes OF AM Th/~()uGH HA\/3s oph g!\/3,
$IngiN9 [-AC|-| m0rN!NG 0U~|~ ()ph 3ach Ni9|-|~|~
mv/ f@~|~he/~ |\/|0V3D th/~oUG|-| |)[-pTh5 oF |-|e!9h~|~

~|~#i5 |\/|O~|~1Onle5s forg3+/=(_)L W|-|[-r3
Tur|\|E[> @~|~ H!5 g|_A/vce t0 5H1/v1ng #3RE;
t|-|at if($O t!|\/|![> a1/^ 1s phIR|\/|)
|_|n[>[-r |-|!$ 3ye5 \\/oUL[> ST1r 4nd sQ|_|IR|\/|

/ve\\/lY 4s f/^0m |_||\||3URI3c| |/\|#icH
fLo4ts t#3 f!/~St w#(),His 4/>/~I/_ TouC|-|
|)rOvE S|_[-e/Oi/vg 5E|_\/[-S t() Sw@r|\/| thEi/^ fa~|~es
W0|<e dr[-@|v|er$ T() T|-|31R Gho$Tly rooTS

a/vd $H()(_)lc| 50me |/\|HY (oMPL3te|_`/ w[-ep
M`/ /=@+h3R's f!NGErS BRougH~|~ h[-r s|_Ee/O:
v@1/vly nO s|v|@LLeS~|~ vOic3 mI9ht Crv/
/=0/^ #E C()uLd fe3l T|-|3 |\/|0|_|N+A!/v$ gr()W.

l!fTINg ~|~|-|[- v@LL[-`/5 0ph ThE $3a
my fAtHer moV3d +hRoUg|-| gri3fs oph J()`/;
P/^aISing a forEhe@D [A|_/_3d THe |\/|0o/v
5InGinG DesiRe iN~|~O B[-gin

j()v/ w4$ Hi$ 5oNg An[> _/0`/ s() />(_)r3
a hEa/~~|~ ()/= 5ta/^ bv/ hIM [oul[> $~|~3eR
4nc| /O(_)/~E so /v()w @n|) nOw so v/3s
tH3 W/^Is+$ of Tw1lIg#+ wo|_|ld /^3j0I[[-

keEN 4$ |\/|IDsum|v|3r'S Keen B[-v/o|\|[>
conC3iV1/vg |v|!n[> oph S|_|N w1ll s~|~4nd,
$() str![tLY(Ov3r UT|v|0$T #i|v|
sO H(_)9el`/) $TO0D mv/ /=4T#er'S d/~[-@|v|

hi5 fl3sh |/\|4s /=/_[-$h h1s bl()0c| w@$ Bl()o|):
no |-||_||\|g/~Y m4|\| bu+ |/\|!sH3D |-|!M fO0D;
nO [R1/O/>|_e \\/o|_|/_Dn'T Cr3ep ON[- |v|!|_e
(_)phI|_l ~|~o ()/v/_Y $ee H1|v| 5m!lE.

$CorN!|\|G +h[- Po|v|p oph |v|us+ @|\|[> $#4LL
mY f@tH3/~ |\/|()V3D T#Ro(_)Gh |)OOm5 of fe3L;
HI5 Ang3/^ Was 45 R1gh+ a$ r4IN
h1S pit`/ \\/4S @5 g/^eeN a$ 9r4!n

$ep~|~eM|33r1n9 4rms of yEaR 3x~|~3nd
`/eS |-|umblY |/\|3@LT# T0 ph()E @nd /=r1End
~|~|-|A|\| |-|e t0 f0oli5H @Nc| T0 |/\|iS3
ofF3Red !MM[-aSu/~a8|_e 1s

/O/~ouDlY aN|)(bY oc+()berI|\|g fla|v|e
be(k()N3c|)a$ ear+h |/\|ill c|ow/v|/\|AR|) (l!m8,
S0 Nak3|) foR !M|\/|or+aL wO/^K
hi5 S|-|0u|_Der5 marcHec| 4gainsT TH3 c|@R|<

|-|!5 S0r/^ow \\/@s aS +/^uE @s 8/^eAd:
no /_iA/^ lo0K[-d h1m !|\| ~|~#3 H3@c|;
!/= EveRy /=R![-|\|c| B3[4M[- #!5 /=oe
hE'[> La|_|G|-| and BuIld a |/\|0rLD |/\|1+h 5Now.

|v|y Fa+|-|[-/^ movEd +h/^ouGH +|-|eYs 0f w3,
$1|\|gi|\|G [-aCh n3W /_eAph ou+ Oph [-4[h +/^3e
(@n[> 3\/ery chI/_|) w4S Su/^e THa+ s/>/^inG
[>ance[> w|-|[-|\| sh3 #E@/~|) |v|Y phAtHe/~ 5Ing)

TH3n l3~|~ |\/|3n |<il|_ \\/HiCh [A/vnot sha/~E,
|_e+ |3|_ooc| 4|\|[> f|_[-s# be mU[> An|) |\/|1re,
S[|-|em!Ng I|v|@g!nE,/>a$5iON willed,
f/^e3dom A Dr(_)g t|-|at'5 b()(_)gh~|~ a|\|c| 5Ol[>

G!\/!ng To 5~|~[-aL aND C/^|_|[-l |<inD,
4 |-|3ar+ +o f3a/^,to |)ou|3+ 4 M1/vc|,
~|~0 d1phphe/^ a disea$E Of s4mE,
c0|\|fOrM +#e />iNNAc/_3 o/= @|v|

tHou9|-| c|u/_/_ \\/eRe @/_l \\/[- ta5~|~e 45 br!ght,
Bi+~|~e/~ A/_L ut~|~E/^L`/ +#IngS s\\/3[-~|~,
MagGO~|~y |v|I/v|_|5 4nd [>umb [>eath
al/_ wE InhEri~|~,A/_L |3[-q|_|34tH

4|\|d NOth1Ng qUit3 so /_3a5+ 4S t/~|_|th
--1 s4y thou9H hATe wer3 \\/|-|y me/v 8/^34tHe--
83[@(_)53 mY /=4t|-|E/^ |_Iv[-|) his s0U/_
/_()V3 is ~|~|-|e \\/#O/_[- a/v|) |v|orE ~|~H4/v alL