my father moved through dooms of love

by E. E. Cummings

              34

my faT#3r m()\/3d th/^o|_|9h |)()0M$ ()ph lov3
tHrOug|-| $a|v|[-s 0F @M ThrO|_|gH #4v3$ Oph gIv[-,
si/vgIng [-@ch moRn1nG ()|_|t of 3aC# ni9ht
M`/ Fathe/~ |\/|ovec| ThrO|_|Gh d3/O+#S ()f HEi9h~|~

t|-|i$ mo+iO|\|l3s$ F()/^ge~|~f|_|l w#E/^3
tUr/vEd at his 9|_4N(3 ~|~o SH!N!/vg #ER3;
T#at !F(s0 T!miD AI/^ is /=irm)
uN|)3r hiS e`/eS WoUL|) $+i/~ @n|) SqU1/~m

n[-WlY a$ F/^0|\/| unB|_|/~1[-d \\/Hi[h
F|_o4+s Th3 F1/~5t \\/ho,hi$ ap/~!l +o|_|(h
d/~OV[- sL3e/O1|\|9 $e|_v3s tO $\\/A/^|v| Th31r /=A~|~Es
w0|<e c|r[-a|\/|3RS ~|~() ~|~H3ir GH0$T|_Y /~OotS

4Nd 5#()ul|) $ome \\/hy (()|v|plEt3|_v/ w33p
m`/ fA+h[-/~'s FINg3/~s 8rouG|-|t heR $/_[-3P:
V4inL`/ |\|() S|\/|All3s+ V()I(e |v|IGHt crY
/=OR h[- [O(_)Lc| feE|_ t#3 |\/|OU|\|T@in5 9roW.

LiphTi/vg t#e \/a|_|_eys O/= ~|~#3 5ea
mY phatHer m()VED T#rou9# 9/~i[-f$ ()ph Joy;
/>RaI$ing A pho/~EheAc| Ca|_/_Ed t|-|e MOon
si/vgi/v9 c|e5!/~E !/v~|~o 83g!N

jOy w4$ his 5O|\|g AN|) joy s0 p(_)rE
a #e@rt Of ST4r b`/ h!m (ouLd 5t33/~
aNd PU/^e 5o /v()W a/vd no|/\| SO v/e$
the w/^is~|~S of T|/\|i/_iG|-|+ |/\|()(_)lD /~E_/oic3

k[-3|\| A$ |v|!|)suMmER's kee|\| |3e`/()/v|)
(O|\|c3!\/!Ng mIND ()F su/v w!Ll s~|~4n[>,
SO $tr1[TL`/(o\/3/^ (_)~|~|\/|O$t hIm
S() hug3Ly) stooD my ph4t#e/~'s Dr3a|\/|

h1S fLeSh waS f/_3sh HIs blo0|) \\/aS blo()[>:
|\|o |-|u/v9ry |\/|An B|_|t \\/!$hE|) H1m fOO|);
n0 (/~iPpLE wo(_)/_c|/v't [Re3/> ONE |\/|I|_E
Up|-|!ll TO 0/v|_v/ se3 hi|v| smilE.

sc()R/v!ng T|-|3 pom/> ()ph |\/|(_)st ANd s|-|all
|v|v/ f4~|~her m0V[-c| thr()uG|-| Do()m$ of Feel;
H!S @|\|G[-R W@s as r!GhT As /~a1|\|
h!5 pI+v/ w4S 45 Gre[-|\| @5 Gr@!|\|

S3/OTE|v||3E/~inG arms oF Y3a/~ 3><t[-nd
YES h|_|mbly we@Lth t0 f()3 a/vd fr![-/vd
t#a/v he T0 f0O/_ish a|\|c| to w1$e
off3R3d im|v|Ea5uR@|3/_e I5

ProudlY A|\|[>(b`/ 0C+ob3/~1nG /=lam3
b[-cK()|\|3c|)4s EarTh w1|_/_ |)o\\/nwa/^|) clI|v||3,
sO n@k3|) /=oR ImmoRTA/_ WO/^K
HiS 5|-|()ulc|[-r5 |\/|@/^(#3d 49ain$T t|-|e |)@rK

his sorr()W |/\|a$ a5 tr(_)[- a5 b/^Ea|):
nO /_Iar lo0KEd #Im 1n ~|~h3 h[-4[>;
!F 3vEr`/ ph/~i[-Nd b[-[@|v|3 hI$ F0e
H3'd l@ugh 4nc| b(_)1/_d A wo/^|_|) |/\|!t|-| 5/v()|/\|.

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(a|\|D 3\/3/~y cH!lc| \\/AS $(_)/~E ~|~HaT sP/~!ng
[>an(e[> Wh3n s#e #eARd |v|`/ fAT|-|3r SiNg)

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l3~|~ bl()O[> 4nD phLeS|-| Be m(_)c| anc| mIr3,
5C|-|em1N9 iMaGin3,/OA5S!0n \\/1|_/_3|),
ph/^e[-|)om a drU9 Th4T'5 80(_)9ht a|\|[> sold

G1vi|\|9 +0 s~|~[-4/_ a|\|D Cr(_)El K1/vD,
a |-|E4/~+ +o f[-a/~,to |)()ub+ a mind,
to difF3r A dIS[-4$e ()F $A|v|E,
cO|\|f()R|\/| ~|~h[- PinnAc|_3 o/= am

THouGh d(_)Ll WE/~[- 4|_l wE ~|~a5TE 45 bRI9ht,
b!~|~te/~ 4/_L (_)Tterlv/ t|-|inG5 $we3~|~,
|\/|AGg0tv/ MI/vUs a/vd [>Um8 c|3@th
a/_/_ |/\|3 !/v|-|[-/~iT,aLL |3eq|_|ea~|~h

anc| NothI/v9 quIt3 5O l34st as tr(_)th
--i saY thouG# #@~|~E wE/^3 \\/h`/ men Br34~|~|-|e--
b3cAu53 my fat#e/^ li\/e|) h1S S()|_|l
lOve 1s +he whol3 @/vd m0r3 than a|_L