my father moved through dooms of love

by E. E. Cummings
              34

My fa+hER |v|O\/[-|) thro(_)g# c|()0MS ()ph l0ve
t|-|RoUG# sA|\/|[-S of a|\/| ~|~HroU9H #aV[-$ of gIve,
5iN9ing eac|-| m()r/v!ng Out 0/= 3A[h /vigh+
my /=4~|~Her |\/|0\/3d +h/~0u9h c|3pTHS 0ph h319H~|~

tH!s m0~|~!oN/_3s5 Fo/~Ge~|~f|_|L wher3
+|_|/~|\|ed at hI$ Gl4nC[- t0 5#i/vi|\|g hEr3;
tH@T IF(so +imId ai/~ iS f1/^m)
u|\|Der #Is EY3S wOu/_d S+I/^ an[> 5qu1Rm

N3wlv/ @S FRom u|\||3U/~I3d Whi(|-|
/=lo@+s tH3 F!/~$T W#O,|-|i5 apri|_ t()u[h
c|/~()\/e S/_e[-/>!NG $3lv35 t() sw4r|\/| +#e1/^ /=a+3s
w0Ke dr3@|\/|3R$ TO the!/~ G#()5t|_y Roo+$

a|\|d SHo(_)l[> $Om3 \\/Hv/ CoMple~|~3Ly W33/>
|v|y f@tHe/~'s f1nG3r5 |3/^0ugHt h3R sLEep:
\/@!n|_y no s|v|aL/_Es+ V()i(E m1GHT Crv/
f()/^ #E (ould phE3L +|-|e |v|0u/v~|~aIns 9ro|/\|.

|_i/=t1|\|g +#e vA|_|_[-ys o/= tH3 $3a
My phA~|~He/^ m0v3|) t|-|roug|-| g/~ief$ of _/oY;
PRai5i/vG a F()Re#3@d (a|_led T#3 M()On
S!/vgin9 [>es!/^[- !|\|~|~O |3E9in

j()Y |/\|as |-|I$ So|\|9 an[> joy So p|_|RE
a #3A/^t 0f S~|~ar B`/ #!m c0(_)/_c| 5~|~eer
anc| pur[- 5o /vOW @ND now so v/3s
~|~|-|3 \\//^!$T5 o/= t|/\|1L1g#T wo(_)ld r3joic3

|<3en as |\/|1c|S|_|M|v|eR'5 |<e3N be`/OnD
Co|\|C3iV!ng |\/|!|\|D ()f S|_||\| wi|_l 5ta/v|),
s() $~|~/^1ctl`/(()v3/~ |_|tMosT #1|v|
$o |-|u93ly) s~|~o0D |v|Y FaTh[-/^'S c|reaM

his /=l3sh |/\|as fl3Sh h!5 b/_00D \\/as 8l0od:
No |-|UnG/~y |\/|a/v |3Ut |/\|ish3d #i|v| FOod;
n() cRip/O|_E |/\|0(_)Ld/v't crE3/> On3 M1/_e
(_)pHILl tO on/_y SE[- #Im 5m1lE.

$(O/~/vi|\|G the /Oomp 0ph |v|(_)S+ 4/v|) Shal|_
My /=a+|-|er movE[> +|-|r()(_)9h dOOM5 o/= f3E/_;
|-|i$ @|\|93R wa$ aS RIg#T a$ R4!/v
|-|1s />!+`/ wa$ @$ Green aS gRA!n

sEpt[-m|3[-/~ing 4/^mS o/= Ye@/~ EXtENc|
v/e5 humBLy w3@Lt# tO f()3 an[> F/~i3/vd
+H@n h[- ~|~o f()()Li$h A|\|d to WI$e
0phphe/^e|) im|\/|[-ASu/^4bl3 Is

prO|_||)/_y anc|(Bv/ O(+obeRIng F|_Am3
b3cK0/v3d)@$ 3a/^+# \\/1l|_ c|oWnWAR|) Cli|\/|B,
5() N@|<3[> /=0/~ im|\/|OrT@L woRk
H1$ 5h()u/_|)E/^5 ma/~C|-|Ed 494!/v5t t#E [>ARk

his 50/^/^Ow \\/A5 @s ~|~/^|_|3 As brE4[>:
N0 /_1Ar l()oK[-d h1|v| 1|\| +he Hea[>;
!/= e\/ery phri[-nd be[@|v|e |-|i$ f()3
he'c| L@|_|g# A/vc| 8|_|1|_D A |/\|orlD |/\|ith sn0\\/.

my f@~|~h[-/~ |\/|oV[-d t#r()|_|G|-| Th3y$ 0/= w3,
$i/v9!N9 eAc# n[-\\/ |_EAF 0|_|T oF 3@ch ~|~/~e3
(aNd 3vE/^Y (hild \\/4s Sure +#@+ 5prINg
[>4n[3c| WH3|\| Sh[- |-|3aR|) My /=athER sI/vg)

then L3+ me/v kiLl W|-|!C# cann0+ s|-|are,
l3T blo()[> ANd phl[-s|-| |3e m|_|d an|) Mi/~3,
5(H3|\/|i/vg imag!|\|e,p4$$I()n wI/_|_Ec|,
FRE3doM A [>/^(_)g th4t'$ |3ouG|-|T 4Nc| SoL|)

g1\/1/v9 +o s~|~[-A|_ 4|\||) (/^ueL |<iN[>,
A |-|[-aRt ~|~o /=[-ar,+o |)()(_)|3+ A m1/vD,
TO D!/=ph3/~ A [>I$e@Se ()ph 5@|\/|e,
co/vfOrM ~|~h[- />i|\|n@cle oF am

t#0(_)gh [>uLl W3r[- @/_L \\/3 t4STE @s |3rig#T,
bi~|~~|~[-/^ AlL |_|tter|_y thi|\|G$ SWe3+,
M@gG0+y |\/|1NUs @n|) c|uMb DeAtH
@lL w[- iN#e/^it,All b[-qU3ath

A/vc| |\|0t|-|!ng quite so le4s+ A$ +/~u~|~|-|
--I saY +Ho|_|gH ha+e we/^e |/\|#Y meN br3@ThE--
|3E[@u$[- mv/ fA+h3/~ lIV[-D hi5 $0u|_
L()ve 1s +he |/\|h0/_E and |v|0R3 t#A|\| al/_
the demonweb

my father moved through dooms of love
