the demonweb; my father moved through dooms of love

my father moved through dooms of love

by E. E. Cummings

              34

m`/ F4ther moV3d ~|~h/^()uGh DO0Ms 0ph LOVe
t|-|rO(_)gh s4m3$ ()f aM ~|~hrOug# #Av3s ()/= gIvE,
S1/vging 3a(|-| |v|()/~Ni/vG o|_|t Of 3@c|-| /v19H+
|\/|`/ F@T#E/^ |v|Ov[-c| t#r()U9|-| d3P~|~hS 0F heiGH+

+hIs m()+i0/vLe5s foRget/=u|_ |/\|#3/^e
turnec| 4~|~ his glaNce +O $#!|\|iN9 hEr[-;
~|~HaT If(s() T!m!D air is fi/^m)
(_)N[>3r His eyE5 |/\|()ULD sT!r 4/vD squ!rm

N3wly 4s ph/~0|v| |_|nb|_|/~13D w#!C#
F/_oAt$ ~|~H[- fir$T |/\|HO,#I5 Ap/^i/_ toucH
dRov3 sL3[-/Oi|\|g $[-lV3$ tO $\\/@/^M +#[-!/^ FA+3s
wok[- d/^[-@M[-/^5 t() +h3Ir GHO$T/_`/ ROOt5

anc| Sho|_|/_|) sO|\/|[- w#`/ (ompL3t3Lv/ wE[-/O
|v|`/ phATher'5 FiNg3r5 8/~O|_|g|-|~|~ H3r $/_ee/>:
va!nlv/ n() 5|v|allest v0Ic[- |\/|!ghT Cry
/=0R |-|3 co|_|l[> /=3el +h3 |v|oU|\|+a1ns groW.

l!Fting th3 Vall[-yS 0ph The 5Ea
|\/|Y f4Th3r |\/|ov3d ~|~|-|Ro|_|G# 9r!3phS Oph j0v/;
pRAIsINg a f0/^ehE4[> cAl/_E|) Th3 |v|O0N
s1nG1nG d3sI/~[- !N+o begIn

jOY WAs Hi5 5()nG A|\||) _/ov/ S() /O(_)r3
a H3ar~|~ oph S~|~A/^ by #!M [O|_|ld sT[-Er
4nd />(_)/^e so n()w a/v[> N()w So y35
Th3 wR1s~|~s ()/= T|/\|i|_IgHt |/\|oU|_d /^3Joice

ke[-|\| aS mIc|$|_||\/||v|Er's ke3|\| BEYoN|)
c()|\|c3!V!ng |v|inD 0F sun wi/_|_ sta/v|),
S() strict|_y(ovEr ut|\/|osT #IM
s0 Hu9[-ly) sT0o[> m`/ FAt|-|3r'S d/^eam

|-|i$ phleS|-| waS flE$h |-|!5 BLoOD wA5 bLoOc|:
n() h|_|nGRy maN 8|_|t wIsHe[> #iM /=oOc|;
|\|0 Cripple |/\|()|_|/_dn'~|~ (re3p On3 mil3
U/>h!Ll +o oNlv/ $EE #i|v| 5mI|_e.

sC()r/vi/vg th[- />oMp 0/= |v|U5T @nd 5|-|4/_l
|v|v/ /=At#er mov3D t#/~Ou9# |)ooms oF fe3l;
#I$ 4|\|9E/~ w45 45 /^I9H+ As raiN
|-|i5 piTy w@s 4s GRe[-n 4S gR@in

s3Pte|\/|bE/^I/v9 a/^ms Of ye@R e><+e|\|D
Yes h(_)mbLv/ w3@|_t|-| To ph0e a|\|d friEn|)
+#A/v h3 ~|~o fO()Li$h aND +o |/\|!5E
off[-/^ec| imm[-A5U/~Able !S

pro(_)|)ly 4/vc|(bv/ O(~|~0be/^inG fla|\/|e
beCkoNec|)@s E4r+h \\/1|_L downwarD (lI|\/|b,
so N@K[-|) fO/~ !M|\/|o/~ta|_ \\/o/~|<
His $HoUl[>er$ m@rcH[-[> A9AiNst th3 dark

h!$ Sor/^()\\/ wAs 45 ~|~R|_|3 4$ 8/^eac|:
/v() /_I@/~ Look3c| #1|v| !n T#[- h34c|;
If E\/[-/^`/ phri3nD BEc@ME #!$ FO3
|-|E'[> laUgh A|\|c| BU1|_c| A Wo/~|_|) |/\|1tH sn0w.

m`/ f4th[-/^ |\/|O\/[-|) ~|~hr0(_)g# thEv/5 ()F w[-,
S1nG1nG [-ac|-| n3W |_E4f Out Oph 3ach tRee
(@/vc| 3verv/ [HiL|) |/\|AS Sure +|-|4+ SPr!nG
[>aN(ED W#3n S|-|3 hEAr[> M`/ /=athe/~ $i|\|g)

+|-|3n |_[-t |v|En |<IlL whi(# c@|\|nOt 5harE,
l3+ |3Looc| AN[> FLes# b3 |v||_|[> anc| |\/|ire,
S(|-|emi/v9 i|v|4gi|\|[-,pas$IO|\| w!/_/_3|),
FR33|)0m 4 c|/^|_|9 t#At'S |3ouGht a/vd SO/_|)

9!\/1/vg TO $te@L And C/^(_)E/_ k!Nc|,
a H[-@Rt to FEar,+o [>o(_)bt a M!/v|),
~|~o c|1F/=E/^ a |)Is3A5e Of SAm[-,
C()nfO/^|v| ~|~HE />iNnAcLe 0f 4M

thoU9h d|_|LL We/^[- 4lL w3 +4$te as |3RIgH+,
8i++e/~ 4L|_ u~|~TErL`/ +hinG$ SWeet,
mA9gOtY mI|\||_|s @|\||) [>|_||v||3 |)3Ath
AL|_ w3 1N#E/~i+,AlL |3eq|_|3@t|-|

A/vd |\|O~|~|-|!Ng Q|_|I+[- so l3@st a5 t/^u~|~H
--i s4y ~|~H0u9h |-|ate |/\|[-re |/\||-|y m3N 8r3a~|~|-|e--
83[a|_|5e |\/|`/ FaThER /_Iv3c| hIs SouL
lOv[- Is t#E |/\|h0l[- AN[> mo/~3 tha|\| @/_l