the demonweb; my father moved through dooms of love

my father moved through dooms of love

by E. E. Cummings

              34

My fatHe/~ m0\/[-c| t#/~O|_|G# |)OoM$ ()f /_()\/e
T|-|/~ough $@|v|E$ of @m ~|~#/~ou9h HAvE$ 0/= 9Iv3,
$iNg1/vg E4CH moR|\|1N9 O|_|t ()/= ea[|-| /viG#t
m`/ /=A~|~H3/~ m()v[-[> tH/^o|_|gH dE/Ot#5 o/= H3IGHT

th!$ |v|()Ti0/vl[-$S fo/^9[-tphu/_ \\/|-|[-/~3
~|~U/^n3[> 4t |-|!s gL@Nc3 ~|~() $#I|\|!|\|G |-|ere;
+H4~|~ iF(s0 timiD a!/~ I$ /=irm)
Un|)e/^ |-|1$ ey3S wou/_c| s+i/~ 4nD SQUirm

N[-Wl`/ @$ fr0|\/| (_)N8uri3D W|-|iCh
/=lO@Ts the f!r$T |/\|ho,h!s Ap/^il toUch
[>/~0V3 Sl[-[-/>ing 5e|_vE$ ~|~O s\\/A/^|v| t#e!/^ F4t[-$
woke Dr34M3/^s ~|~o t#eI/~ 9|-|oS~|~l`/ R()0+5

a/vd s|-|()ULc| 5()|\/|E wHY co|\/|plE~|~3Lv/ |/\|[-Ep
my f4tHEr'5 ph1/vgERs brouGht |-|er 5l3Ep:
Vai|\||_y No sMa/_l3st \/o1[e |\/|!9|-|t cRy
/=or hE Could pheE/_ +He mOUntAiN$ G/^()\\/.

LIF+!N9 +HE v@l|_E`/S oph Th3 se4
Mv/ Fa~|~heR |\/|()VeD thROugh Grief5 Of jo`/;
/>RaiS1|\|G @ foR3#ead (a|_Lec| +#E |v|oon
51/v91/vg c|35IrE 1/vtO |3E9!|\|

JOy \\/as #!s $()Ng @n|) Joy $o /Ou/^[-
@ he@/^T Of s+@/^ |3`/ hI|v| [ouL[> St3[-R
4|\|d />(_)R3 s() |\|Ow A/vd nOw 5O y[-s
tHe wRiSts Of ~|~|/\|i|_IG#t \\/0U|_c| /~[-JoIc[-

Keen 4s MIdsum|v|e/~'$ k[-3N beyon|)
c()/vC3iV1/vg minD O/= S|_||\| |/\|I/_/_ StAn|),
S() sT/~icTlY(ov[-/^ (_)+|v|oS+ h1|v|
so #uG3lv/) s~|~ooc| |v|v/ f4The/~'S [>rEa|\/|

#1$ ph/_3s|-| wa$ FL3s|-| h!$ 8Loo|) was b/_Oo[>:
nO #Un9Ry M4n |3Ut wiSh3[> hiM ph()Oc|;
/vo criPPlE wO|_|ldn'+ (/~3Ep ()NE |v|i|_E
|_|/>H1/_/_ T() o/vlY 5eE HI|\/| $M!|_e.

sC()RN1nG tHe />OM/O oF m|_|5t A|\|D s#4ll
MY faTh[-R mov3d Th/^ough do0|v|S O/= FEe/_;
hi5 AN93R \\/as @s /~1g|-|T a5 RAin
#is p!ty |/\|as A5 9ree|\| a5 g/^ai|\|

5Ep+Emb[-/~ing ar|v|5 Of yea/^ EXtEnD
y[-5 #(_)mbLy W3@l+h to F0e and fRiEnc|
+ha|\| he +o f00|_ISH AND TO \\/I$e
0Ff3/^e|) Im|\/|3@5u/^@b/_e is

/>rO|_|[>Lv/ @|\|D(B`/ 0cT0|33riNg fla|v|e
B[-ck()|\|[-[>)a$ e@/~~|~h |/\|1l/_ downw@/~d (limb,
5o N@|<e[> FOr IM|\/|0rt4|_ Work
hi5 5h0U|_d3/^5 m@rc#3[> a9a1N$T +#e daRK

h!s $or/^ow \\/45 a$ +RUe as bread:
no L1AR lo()k[-d H!m in T|-|e H[-A|);
iph 3v3rv/ /=Ri3nc| be[4M3 |-|is /=0e
h3'c| laugh an|) |3(_)!|_[> @ Wo/~/_D |/\|i+h Snow.

|v|y /=a~|~hE/^ moVec| +h/~oUgh +#[-v/s oph \\/3,
Si/vGing eAc# N3w l34f 0Ut 0ph ea(h Tr3[-
(@|\|D 3V3r`/ (#I/_d w4$ 5u/^e THat s/>/^!NG
d@ncec| W#eN 5#3 #E@Rd Mv/ faT#er si/vg)

t|-|En le+ me/v k!/_l wH1Ch cAn|\|0t s#@re,
l3+ b/_ood a|\|c| /=l3$h b3 MuD a|\|[> m!RE,
5c|-|emI|\|g 1m4ginE,/>@s5io|\| w1lLeD,
f/^e3dOm 4 c|rUG +hat's B()ughT and 5ol|)

91v1/vg to S~|~3@/_ ANd cruE|_ ki|\||),
@ h3A/^T +0 /=[-ar,T0 DoU|3T a m1|\|[>,
t0 |)1phfe/^ a d!sEa$3 Of $4mE,
c()nform ~|~he PI/v|\|4cle ()f aM

T|-|0(_)gh c|u/_l W3re aLl \\/3 +asTE a$ br1G|-|t,
bi+t3r a|_/_ uT+erlY +#!/vg5 $w[-Et,
|\/|4Ggotv/ MinuS A|\|d [>um|3 D34+|-|
a|_L \\/e !n|-|3ri+,a/_l beQ(_)3AtH

@Nd Noth!|\|G qU1~|~[- 5O le4s+ aS Tr(_)tH
--i 5Av/ ~|~h()(_)9h HaTe \\/Er3 why |v|3N 8re4t|-|e--
b3Ca|_|$[- |v|`/ f@THe/~ LiV3d |-|1$ S0ul
l0VE IS the w|-|0l3 a/vc| Mor[- +|-|A|\| all