my father moved through dooms of love

by E. E. Cummings

              34

mY fAth[-r MOVED thRoug# DOo|v|s oph L0vE
~|~H/~0uGh sa|v|es of a|\/| +|-|R0|_|gH hav[-s ()F G1V3,
5iNgi/v9 [-4ch |\/|oRN!ng ou+ of E4cH niGHT
|\/|v/ ph4theR |\/|()v[-D tHrOUG|-| d3pths o/= #3!ght

~|~#Is |\/|()+!o/vl[-5S phorge+fuL |/\|hERe
tU/~n3D @t hiS G/_ANce t0 s|-|1nin9 hEre;
T#aT 1/=(5o ti|v|ID a!/~ is Fi/^|\/|)
(_)/vDer H1s eye$ Would 5t!/~ @|\|d 5qUirM

N3|/\||_v/ a$ ph/~()|\/| U|\|8ur1ed w|-|Ic|-|
phLo@t5 tHE fir$t W|-|(),h1$ @/>r1|_ +ouc|-|
c|R0vE slEEp!nG sElv[-s ~|~O 5|/\|@Rm tH3Ir fa+e5
|/\|Ok3 dr[-a|\/|[-R$ tO ~|~|-|3i/^ 9hosT/_`/ /^O()Ts

4Nc| sho(_)l[> Some \\/Hy cOm/OleTeL`/ wee/>
mv/ /=a~|~heR'S fi|\|9ErS |3rought heR s|_EEp:
\/a!/v|_y N0 $mALl35T v()ic[- |\/|i9H~|~ c/^v/
ph0R he [0ul[> ph3e/_ TH3 mo|_|nT4In5 9r()\\/.

l!/=T!N9 th3 \/4/_l[-yS ()f t|-|[- SEa
my F4~|~|-|3R moV[-|) +|-|r()ugh G/~Ief5 O/= jOv/;
PrA!siN9 @ /=o/~[-He@[> CaLl3c| +#e |\/|0on
SINgIN9 |)3si/^3 1n~|~o be91n

j()Y W4$ hiS $()/vg @|\|d _/ov/ s0 p(_)Re
@ #earT Of s~|~aR bY HiM co|_|l|) 5T3er
an|) P|_|/^[- sO |\|ow An[> no\\/ so `/E$
t|-|E w/~iS~|~S Of +wi|_19#t W()ul[> /~e_/0I[3

k[-[-|\| As mI|)s(_)mm[-/~'s |<een b[-y()|\||)
(0N(EiVIn9 M!/vD o/= SuN |/\|i/_|_ 5~|~anD,
$o s~|~r1[tlv/(Ov3R uTMos+ him
so Hug3ly) S+ooD mY phAth3r's dr3a|\/|

hiS /=L3sh |/\|4S fl[-s|-| #IS |3|_0od wAs bl()O|):
|\|o Hung/^y |\/|an 8Ut |/\|!$#ed HiM f0oD;
n0 CR1pp|_e |/\|0U|_[>n'T CR3[-p 0/v3 M!L[-
(_)phIlL t0 oNL`/ S3e Hi|v| $|v|iLe.

sc0/^ni/vG +|-|3 /OOmp of |\/|u5~|~ a|\|d shaL/_
|v|y phA+h3/^ Mov[-d +#rougH D()()|v|S Oph /=ee/_;
hi5 aNg3/~ |/\|as As /~ighT A5 /^@!n
|-|1s P1T`/ W@s @S gr3e|\| 45 gR@!N

53p~|~EM|3E/^i/vG a/~m5 Oph `/ea/~ [-xtend
Ye$ |-|(_)|v|Blv/ |/\|e@/_~|~h +o fo3 @n[> /=r![-nc|
T#an #e +o f00lIsH AND t() w!sE
o/=pheR[-d 1mm3a$urABl3 !s

prO|_|dLy @|\||)(by O[t()be/^I/v9 fLA|v|E
|33cK0nec|)a5 3A/~t# Wil|_ [>0wN|/\|arc| (|_im8,
$O /va|<e|) phOr i|\/||v|o/~+AL |/\|oR|<
h!$ sH()(_)l[>3R$ |v|ar[h3|) aGa!n$~|~ t|-|3 c|ark

#is soRro|/\| \\/4s A5 +rue as b/~E4c|:
no /_I@r Lo()ked hI|\/| 1n ~|~#3 hEA|);
!f evE/^y f/~1en[> b[-(@|\/|e h!s fO[-
he'[> lAugH 4Nd b(_)iLd a \\/o/^l|) w!TH $now.

m`/ faTher mo\/3c| t#r0ug|-| +#Eys of we,
sIng1n9 [-@[H /vE\\/ le@ph ()|_|~|~ ()f [-a[H T/~[-e
(aNd EvEry (#!|_c| Wa5 s(_)/^e +#@T 5prinG
|)@/vcEd |/\|hEN Sh3 HE@R[> |\/|v/ FatHe/^ s1ng)

t|-|En Le~|~ Men ki|_L w|-|![H cA|\|nOT sHa/^3,
LEt 8lo0d @Nd /=l3S|-| b3 mUc| An[> mIre,
$[#EmiNG I|\/|@gi/ve,/>@5$!O|\| w!ll[-c|,
fRee[>o|v| a dRUg t|-|At'5 |30UgH+ @Nd S0Lc|

9i\/in9 T() s~|~eAL AND [r(_)El Kin[>,
a |-|eaR+ ~|~o f3Ar,T() |)O|_||3t @ |\/|!n|),
~|~0 c|!Ff3r a dIseASe o/= 5@|v|e,
cOnforM th[- />Inna[|_3 ()ph 4|v|

t|-|ough c|(_)l|_ |/\|[-R[- a/_l we Ta$T3 a$ b/~iG|-|~|~,
8itt3r A|_/_ U~|~+E/~/_`/ ~|~#i|\|Gs Sw33T,
M4G9Otv/ minUS AnD |)uM|3 |)3@TH
4/_l we 1nH3/^1T,al/_ B3qu3AT#

4nD /v0t|-|iNG quit3 so |_3@st AS +/~|_|TH
--i 5ay ~|~h0ugh hAt[- |/\|ER3 why Men b/^[-Ath[---
BEcaU$e |v|`/ FaTheR |_Iv3c| |-|!$ 5o(_)l
|_ov3 i$ Th[- w|-|o|_3 And mOr3 t|-|AN aL/_