my father moved through dooms of love

by E. E. Cummings

              34

My f4t|-|[-/^ |v|0VE|) tH/^0uG# d0oMs 0f lov3
thRO(_)Gh sA|v|ES oF 4|\/| t#Rough |-|@ves ()F givE,
S!|\|g1/v9 eaC# |v|0/^/v!n9 0U+ O/= [-@[H ni9#+
Mv/ ph@~|~|-|3/^ M0V3d ~|~Hro|_|gH c|3/>t#$ of he!ghT

tHis |\/|()+1on/_e5s f0RgeT/=|_|/_ whe/^e
tu/~|\|3[> 4~|~ |-|iS Gl@N(e +o SHIn1n9 |-|e/^[-;
th4t if(So tiM!|) 4!r i$ phi/^|\/|)
(_)|\|d[-/^ #!$ Eyes |/\|oulc| STi/~ anc| 5QuirM

|\|ewl`/ 4s f/^()|\/| |_|Nb(_)ried whiCh
ph|_0A+5 THE /=1Rs~|~ |/\|#(),Hi5 4/>ri/_ to(_)Ch
dRoV[- S|_ee/>1|\|g 5eLve$ +o 5\\/4Rm ~|~#[-1r /=aTEs
WokE D/~eam3rs ~|~o Th3!/~ g#osTLv/ r0()+$

aND SHo(_)LD $o|\/|e wh`/ cO|v|/>/_E+ELy we3p
my ph@tH3/^'5 /=i/vg3r$ b/^o(_)gH~|~ #e/^ Sl33/O:
vai/v|_y no sm@|_lEs~|~ vO1[[- |v|ig|-|t c/~y
f()/^ h3 [O|_|lc| /=EeL +h3 |v|o(_)/vtAi/vS 9R0\\/.

LIft!Ng th[- valle`/s 0f the sEa
M`/ F4tHE/^ MO\/3D Th/^ouG|-| grief5 Of jo`/;
pR@IsInG 4 fo/^ehea|) (alLed the MO0|\|
s1|\|g!NG |)3$i/~[- !nt() b3gIN

J()`/ was h1s S()ng a|\|[> joy SO />(_)r[-
A H3ARt ()f s+ar 8y hI|\/| [oUlD 5+33r
A/vD />|_|r3 sO |\|ow A/vd n()w $() YEs
tHe W/~!5~|~$ Of twilig|-|~|~ W()(_)ld /^ejoI[E

|<eEn as |v|1dsU|\/|m3/~'s K[-En |33`/()/vd
CO|\|C3!\/iN9 |\/|I/vd of s|_|N |/\|ilL $tan[>,
$0 St/^![+/_`/(OV3R U~|~most hI|v|
$o hUg[-|_y) s+o()d mY /=aThER'S d/^E4M

Hi5 /=|_3s# was /=l3$h hi5 8/_ood \\/as |3lo0d:
|\|o hu|\|gry m@/v |3ut \\/!$hed hi|v| phOoD;
N0 cr!pPlE \\/ou|_d/v'+ c/~EEp ()|\|E |v|ile
(_)/>hIL/_ +0 ()/v|_y seE h!M 5m!Le.

$[o/^|\|!/vG ~|~hE /Oomp OF |v|(_)$+ An|) $|-|alL
MY ph4+#ER m0Ved tH/^o|_|gh c|Oo|v|5 Oph feEl;
|-|1s 4n93/~ WA5 a$ /^!g#+ a5 /^@!/v
His /OitY |/\|a$ @S g/~e[-/v @$ g/^ain

s[-/Ote|v|Be/^1Ng aR|\/|s OF v/[-A/^ e><Te/vc|
yES hU|\/|BLv/ W[-4lT# to fO[- 4/vd F/~i[-Nd
t|-|An he T0 ph()Ol15|-| And ~|~0 |/\|1$3
()fF3REd immEASUr@bLe IS

/O/~()u|)lv/ an[>(Bv/ oc~|~o|3eRi|\|9 f/_a|\/|e
B3Ckon3d)as e@r~|~H wi|_/_ do\\/nwar[> C/_I|\/|8,
$o nak3c| f()R 1|v|M()RtaL worK
his s|-|ou/_d3/^s M4r(H3D Ag41n5t ~|~#E dark

h!5 sOrr()W \\/@5 As tRue as |3/~34|):
n0 Liar |_ooK[-|) H!m 1/v The |-|ead;
1f 3\/3/~y F/~ie/v|) b3[4|v|3 Hi5 f()3
he'D L4UGh @nd bU1l|) A |/\|()/^|_D wIth $No|/\|.

my F4+hEr mo\/ec| ~|~hR()UGH t|-|3yS 0ph w[-,
5I/vg!NG 3ach /vew le@f 0U+ OF EA(# +r3[-
(A/vD E\/3/^Y c|-|IL|) W@s s(_)/^E ~|~h4t S/OrIn9
|)an[ec| |/\||-|eN She |-|[-a/^|) m`/ f4+he/^ siNg)

tH3n L[-t m3n Ki/_|_ w|-|1[H can/vOT $harE,
/_3t blo0c| 4nd /=LES|-| be Mu|) and MI/~[-,
S[he|v|!Ng iM4Gi|\|3,Pass!on |/\|il|_ed,
phre[-doM a D/^|_|9 ~|~Hat's 8()ught 4nD soLd

giv!/vG to 5~|~EaL @nD cRuEl Ki|\||),
A h34Rt +0 f3@/~,~|~O [>0u|3~|~ A mind,
TO |)1FF3r @ D!$Eas3 ()F sam3,
c0/vf0rm T#e pI|\||\|ac|_3 0f aM

~|~|-|0uGh DU|_l wER3 @ll |/\|e ta5t3 a$ |3/^iGht,
|3I+te/^ ALL |_|tterly +#INg$ s|/\|e[-t,
m4gg()+y |\/|iNu5 an[> d(_)|v|8 D3ATh
all \\/3 iNh[-/~!t,all |33qu[-4TH

@N|) /vOth1nG Q|_|i+e s0 lE@ST @S T/~|_|t#
--i s4y ~|~H()(_)gh #@t3 |/\|[-/^E WH`/ m3|\| |3/~ea~|~h[---
|3ec@u5[- |\/|`/ fAther lI\/3d hi$ $o|_|l
/_oV3 I$ THe W#0L3 anc| mo/~3 +#a|\| ALl