the demonweb; my father moved through dooms of love

my father moved through dooms of love

by E. E. Cummings

              34

My phat|-|[-/~ |v|o\/ed ~|~HR0u9|-| c|O()|v|s o/= LOv3
+#r0u9H sAme5 Oph am THRO|_|GH #a\/3S OF g1Ve,
SI|\|G!N9 Ea[h m0rNiNg 0|_|~|~ oF e@(H nig#T
|\/|y F@t#er |v|0\/[-[> ~|~Hro|_|9|-| d3pt#s of heiGh~|~

T|-|!$ mOti()|\|lEss F()rGetFu|_ Wh3re
~|~urnEd A+ H1s G|_4nC3 To sHI|\|InG H3/~3;
t#@t i/=(so TI|\/|!d AiR i$ F!r|\/|)
unDeR His ey3S |/\|oUld s~|~1r @Nc| SquI/^|v|

n3\\/l`/ @$ ph/^OM (_)n8|_|/~ie|) whicH
fl()a~|~$ +h3 fIrs~|~ Wh0,his 4/OrIl +o(_)ch
d/~Ove sl[-eP1N9 5eLves to S\\/Ar|\/| +|-|31/^ phAteS
\\/oK[- d/~eaM[-/~s to th3ir g#oS~|~Ly /~oots

@/vd $H0ULd 5o|v|[- \\/|-|v/ (o|\/|Pl3t3Ly WeEP
|\/|Y FAThEr'S f!/vG3/~s b/~OUG#T h[-/^ sl33p:
v4inly No sMAlL3$t V0i[3 Mi9|-|T [/~y
/=0r #e cou/_D ph33l th3 |v|o|_|/v~|~A!|\|S gr0\\/.

/_iph+InG Th3 va|_leys of +|-|3 $EA
|v|`/ F@tH3r m0\/eD tH/~o|_|gh GRIEfs oF jov/;
pRAisi/vG 4 fOr3hea|) cAl/_ed tHE |\/|()O/v
s1/vG1/vg d3sir3 I|\|tO |33gIN

_/Oy was |-|iS $o/vG @|\|d j0`/ so pu/~3
a #eaRt of $+Ar |3`/ #Im cO(_)LD s~|~33R
A|\|[> P(_)rE $o now aNd |\|ow $o y3$
~|~h3 w/~i$~|~s 0ph tWi/_igH+ |/\|()ulD rEJO!c3

|<een as |\/|i|)su|v|Mer'5 |<[-3/v beyo/vd
Co|\|[E1ViNg |\/|!ND of 5|_||\| WIll STanD,
$o 5trI(+|_v/(Ov3/~ uTm()$+ |-|I|v|
so hUg3|_Y) s~|~0oD my fAt|-|3R'$ c|r[-4|\/|

H1s phl3$H was fl[-s|-| #1S blooc| Was 8|_oOD:
|\|() HungrY mAn 8ut wish[-|) #!m foO|);
n0 c/~i/>ple |/\|ouL[>|\|'+ [reeP ONe |v|I|_3
upHIL/_ t() ()nly 5e3 him SMilE.

s(or|\|ing +h3 /OOMP oph |\/||_|5T And $|-|a|_/_
|\/|y f4th3/^ moV3c| +#r()UGh dOo|v|$ ()f fe3/_;
|-|is AnG[-r \\/A5 as R1gHt as /~a1|\|
h!5 />!+y w4s 4$ G/~E3/v @S g/~Ai|\|

s3PT3|v|BerInG @rMs O/= y3@r 3xt3|\|d
`/e$ #umbly wEalth t0 /=Oe a/vd Fr1[-Nd
th4N h3 to FO()l15h And +0 W!s3
0fph[-/~e[> !MmeA5ura|3l[- I5

p/~ou[>/_Y and(bv/ O[+o8[-r1Ng Fl4m[-
83Ckone[>)@$ 34r+h |/\|ill c|oW/vW@rD [l1|v|B,
so naK3|) For im|v|()rta|_ Wo/~K
hi5 $Hou/_c|E/~s |v|ArCH3c| 4gAiNsT ~|~|-|e d@rK

#is 5O/~/^Ow wAs as t/~|_|e 45 |3reac|:
nO |_1A/~ Lo()KEc| Him !/v Th3 #34D;
!F 3\/[-/~Y f/^ie/vd beCAm3 Hi5 fo3
he'[> lauGh a|\|c| 8|_|ilc| a w()Rl|) wI+H s|\|o|/\|.

m`/ fat#er M0v[-d th/^Ough theYs Of |/\|e,
Si|\|giNG 3@[H New |_eAph ou~|~ Of [-aC|-| +Re3
(ANc| EV3R`/ C#iL|) w@s 5ur3 Th@t 5pR!Ng
c|@Nc3d W#3n 5h3 h3a/~d |\/|v/ fat#er s!n9)

th3n let |\/|3|\| kill WHic# CAn|\|ot SHA/~3,
l3~|~ |3/_o()d And f|_[-sh 8e mUD @|\|D MI/^e,
$ch[-Mi/v9 1MAg1/v3,/>aS510N Wi/_L[-D,
phR33do|\/| a c|ru9 ~|~|-|@t'5 8Oug|-|t A/v|) 5O|_d

G!vinG To 5TeaL @n|) CrUel |<In[>,
A H34RT +O /=Ear,tO c|oUB~|~ a MINc|,
~|~o c|ifpher a c|iS3aSe 0F SA|v|[-,
conFOrm +#e />!nn@[/_3 0ph @|\/|

t|-|0uG|-| du/_l |/\|Ere @Ll WE +@$t3 4s bri9h~|~,
b!~|~te/~ A/_l u+t3R/_Y +H1/vgs 5w3[-t,
MagGoTy Min|_|$ aNd D|_||v|b |)e@th
4Ll |/\|e in#3ri~|~,Al/_ |33Q(_)3@+h

an[> Noth!|\|G Qu!t[- sO /_east @s tr|_|t|-|
--1 5@v/ t|-|OUGH hat[- w[-Re \\/hy m3n B/^3AT|-|3--
Beca|_|5e |\/|Y FA~|~h3R LiVE|) H1S 5ou/_
L()Ve !5 T|-|e W|-|()l3 4Nc| mo/^[- THa|\| 4lL