my father moved through dooms of love

by E. E. Cummings
              34

|\/|y phA~|~#ER m0\/eD t|-|/^oUgh doOm$ of LOV3
tH/^oug|-| 5ame5 OF 4m +|-|/^()|_|9h havEs 0f g1v3,
s!n9inG [-a(# m0/^n1|\|g 0u+ 0ph 3A(h niG|-|~|~
my /=AthEr |v|()V3D +#/^0|_|G|-| d3Pt|-|s of |-|[-iGH~|~

thIs mo+!O|\||_3s$ f()/~g3+/=(_)|_ W|-|e/~[-
T|_|rn[-d aT h!s 9LA/v(E tO s#in!|\|G HeR[-;
~|~h4~|~ 1F(s() t1m!d ai/~ 1$ FIrm)
u|\|De/~ His ey3$ woU/_D st1r @/vd SQ(_)i/^M

/vE\\/l`/ @s /=/~O|v| |_|/v|3|_|r13d WHICh
Flo4t$ th[- fiR$t w|-|0,#is A/>r!L ~|~o(_)(#
drovE sl3[-/Oi|\|g 5E|_V35 t0 sw4/~m ~|~H[-ir phat[-S
w()k3 D/~3a|\/|[-/^$ +O Th[-1r g|-|()sT|_y /~oo+S

aNd Sho(_)ld so|v|E w#Y CO|\/|/O/_ete|_v/ W33/O
Mv/ /=4TH3r's phiNg[-/^s broUght h[-/~ s/_e3p:
vainLy n0 sma/_L[-s+ \/o1C3 MIgHT c/~Y
fOR he c()ul|) phe3l tHe mou|\|~|~aI/vs 9Ro\\/.

lif+ing +h3 VA/_l[-`/$ oph T|-|e seA
mY f4tHer Mo\/3d t#ro(_)Gh gRIe/=s O/= joy;
Prai51/v9 4 fo/^3h3ad Ca|_l3D tH[- m0()n
5INg1|\|g c|e$I/^[- 1N~|~O 8Eg!n

_/0v/ waS h1s S0ng aND j()y S0 />U/^e
@ hea/^T of st4R 8`/ #1m c()(_)/_[> s+e[-r
a/vD /O(_)re s() n0|/\| and |\|Ow SO v/e5
tH3 w/^iSts ()F ~|~\\/Il!g|-|t wo(_)L[> /~[-JOI(e

k33/v a$ |\/|!d5(_)|v|M3/~'S K3eN 8eyo/vc|
(0N[[-iv!/vg mi/vd o/= suN \\/!L|_ stanD,
so Str!(+ly(0vEr u~|~M0$t Him
5o hugeLY) 5+0()d |v|`/ fath3r's c|Ream

hIS f|_3s|-| \\/@5 f/_Es# #i5 |3Lo0d \\/a5 |3lo0[>:
no |-|uNg/^y |\/|@N 8ut \\/!Sh3d him ph0()|);
No c/~i/>pL3 \\/OUld/v'+ (/^3[-/O ON[- mIl[-
uP|-|Ill ~|~() O/vly $Ee |-|iM smi/_[-.

5c()rniNg +he PO|v|p Oph |\/||_|5+ A/vD $hA|_l
mv/ f@TH3r mOve[> thROugH c|Oo|\/|5 ()ph fEel;
HI$ a/vgE/~ \\/As 4s /~i9#t 4s /~ain
|-|1$ p!tY w4S as gr[-en 4$ 9R41n

$3pt3mb[-r1n9 aRMs 0/= Y[-4/^ Ex+e|\|D
y3s #|_|mBLv/ \\/e@|_+# tO /=()3 And fr1End
T|-|a|\| #E +0 fO()LI5h 4|\|[> To \\/!5e
()f/=3/^ed !m|\/|3@5|_|/~4b/_e !S

/O/~()(_)|)|_Y 4nd(b`/ ()c~|~0bEri/v9 /=/_ame
Be(koN[-|))4$ ear+|-| \\/i/_L d()w/v\\/aRd (l1|v||3,
50 n4keD for imM()R+4l \\/()Rk
|-|I5 S#OuldErS |\/|aR[hed A9@In5t ~|~HE |)aRk

|-|15 5orr()w |/\|@s @S t/~ue a5 B/~eAc|:
/vo liAR |_()OkEd him iN +|-|3 h3ad;
iF evErv/ fr1eNc| Bec4me hI$ ph()[-
|-|e'd lAUg|-| Anc| buILd @ wor/_c| |/\|1th s/vo\\/.

|v|y FaTH3/^ m0\/3D +H/^ough tH3Y5 Oph |/\|3,
51n9i/vg [-@cH nE|/\| lea/= o|_|t of e4c|-| tr33
(anD ev3Ry CHi/_|) wA$ $UR[- t#a+ spr1|\|G
D4/v[[-d \\/he/v $He he4R|) my faT|-|eR S!/vg)

then |_3+ m3|\| K1|_l whiC# [A/vno+ s|-|4/~e,
|_3~|~ bl()od And fleSh 83 |\/|Ud A|\|d |\/|Ir3,
schEM1|\|g iMa9I/v[-,PA$$i()/v Wi/_|_ed,
phr33doM 4 |)ruG That's |3oug#t @N|) solc|

gi\/iNG to 5tEA/_ anc| crU3L Ki|\|D,
a h3Ar+ +() fEAr,~|~o |)ou|3+ A |v|1Nd,
TO |)iphF[-r @ |)Isea5e 0f SaMe,
cOnf()R|\/| t#3 p1/vN4(/_3 Of am

~|~h0uGH |)ull |/\|3/^e 4l/_ we ~|~A5Te AS B/~1ght,
8ittEr A|_|_ (_)+terl`/ t#i/vg5 s\\/[-[-t,
M4gGOtY M1/v|_|5 aNd [>(_)mb de@th
@lL |/\|e IN|-|e/^!T,a|_/_ 83quea+|-|

aNd N()+|-|i/vg Q(_)IT3 $o l345t 45 t/^(_)t|-|
--! 54`/ tHO(_)g# hat3 We/~[- \\/Hv/ |v|3|\| BrE@t#e--
B3C@u5[- m`/ F4tHer lived |-|I$ SOu|_
l0vE 1s ~|~he w#o/_3 aND mOrE ~|~h@/v 4ll
the demonweb

my father moved through dooms of love
