my father moved through dooms of love

by E. E. Cummings

              34

my pha+hE/~ M()ve|) Th/^o(_)G# |)ooms of /_ove
T|-|/^O(_)GH SA|\/|e5 0/= 4|\/| t|-|rough #4V3s O/= G1\/3,
singiNg 3A[# |v|()/^nING oUT ()f e4cH NigHT
|\/|`/ /=at#er Mov[-|) th/^o|_|gH d3p~|~H5 Oph hEight

T#i$ m()~|~ioNle5s fo/~9ETful |/\|he/^3
tU/~n[-D 4t H15 9Lan(e +o s|-|I|\|ing #ere;
tHa+ If(5O t1mI|) Ai/^ !s F1r|\/|)
uNc|3r h!s 3v/3s W0(_)lD st1/^ @nD SQU!rm

n[-w|_Y a$ ph/^o|\/| |_||\|8UrieD WHi(H
F/_0AtS T#[- fI/^S~|~ |/\|hO,H1s @/>r1|_ ~|~O|_|(|-|
dr()vE $l[-3/OiN9 $e|_v3S tO swA/^M t|-|eir /=@~|~3$
Woke Dr3Ame/~5 tO ~|~#eIr GHOST/_y R0()t5

AnD shO(_)l|) $om3 wH`/ C0mpleT3|_y w[-3/O
|\/|Y fA~|~H3r'$ fi|\|93r$ b/^oU9h+ H3r s/_33/O:
v4!|\||_Y no sma/_/_[-st vo![[- |\/|i9H+ [ry
fO/^ |-|e c0u|_[> /=33l tH3 |v|()(_)nTA1/vs g/~0w.

/_1phtinG +HE \/@l/_3y$ ()ph Th3 $eA
|\/|y f@th3R m()vEc| T#/~ouGh 9R![-/=s 0F JoY;
pr@isIng a /=()/~EH3a[> CA|_|_3d ~|~H3 MOon
sI/vgI|\|G desi/^E !|\|to BEgIn

jo`/ wa5 |-|i$ $OnG @nD _/Oy s0 P(_)/~[-
4 |-|[-a/~~|~ ()f $~|~A/^ 8y hi|v| c()u|_d steeR
a/vD pUr3 $() nOw And /vOw 5o v/[-s
~|~|-|e w/^!s+S ()f tw1|_!9ht \\/()Ul|) /~3JO1[[-

k3e|\| @5 miDsU|\/|M3R'5 K33|\| |3[-Yo/vD
c0|\|[3!vi/vg mInc| oph $(_)/v |/\|!ll s+@N|),
s() S~|~/^i(t|_v/(0VeR (_)tm()$T hI|\/|
5O H(_)g[-L`/) st00|) my f4tH3R'S D/~[-4M

#i5 /=L[-5h \\/A5 /=|_3$# #!$ 8LoO[> wa5 |3|_oO|):
|\|0 h(_)n9/^v/ |v|an bU+ \\/Ish[-d |-|IM food;
/v() [RiP/OL3 Would|\|'~|~ c/^e[-/> ()n3 mI|_e
|_|/>|-|iL/_ to o|\|lv/ 5[-E HIM s|\/|!|_[-.

sCoR|\|iNg th[- p()mp Oph |v||_|5+ an|) Sh@|_|_
m`/ phA~|~#Er Mo\/[-|) +hr()ugh Do0ms of ph[-eL;
his @ngE/^ W4s @S RIGh~|~ 45 rAin
|-|Is pitv/ waS a$ g/~[-[-N as gra1n

s3PT3M83RIng a/~mS 0f `/3A/^ 3><t3|\||)
YE5 |-|(_)|\/|blY |/\|e@LTh To fO3 @nd frie/vd
than #E +o ph()ol!Sh anc| TO WIs[-
0f/=E/~3c| !MmE4suraBl3 i$

p/~0(_)d/_`/ 4n|)(B`/ o(T()B3r1ng fl@me
Be(kON3[>)a5 ea/^T|-| wi/_L Do|/\|/v|/\|A/~|) CLi|\/|8,
$o |\|4kEc| Fo/^ Imm0/^tA|_ wor|<
#is $|-|O|_|/_|)e/~$ ma/^Ch3c| 4GAi|\|sT ~|~hE c|Ar|<

|-|i$ $orR()w \\/4$ A5 +/~u3 as brE4[>:
nO l1@R /_()oK3c| HiM IN +H[- h3AD;
i/= eV3ry /=r1e|\|[> |33cA|v|3 #I$ /=o3
HE'[> lauGH 4|\|D buILd a wOr|_c| W!t# $nO|/\|.

m`/ pha+|-|er moveD ~|~Hroug# T|-|3Ys oF |/\|3,
$!|\|g!ng E4C|-| n3w /_E@F 0uT of eac# ~|~r3E
(a/vD e\/[-/^Y CHild \\/@5 s(_)R3 Th4t $p/^1Ng
c|@|\|cED \\/hE/v $hE #e4/^d my fAT#3/^ 5ing)

+|-|E|\| LE+ mEn K1/_l \\/H!c# c@nn0t 5#arE,
L3~|~ Blo()d 4|\|D fl3Sh b3 m(_)D A/vd mi/~3,
Sc|-|eM!ng !|\/|a9!N[-,/OAssIo|\| \\/iL/_E[>,
f/~3[-[>0m A Dru9 T#@~|~'$ |30(_)G#+ @nc| 5o/_c|

g!v1N9 to stEa/_ 4nD cru[-l |<Inc|,
a hear+ ~|~o F3@r,+0 [>0ub+ A minc|,
t0 c|iFf[-/^ a di$3as3 of 5aMe,
cON/=()/~m +he p1/vN@cle 0/= @|v|

+#oUg# d(_)lL |/\|erE 4ll w3 T4s~|~E A5 |3/~1ght,
bit+3r A|_L (_)~|~+3rlY +Hi|\|9$ 5\\/33t,
|\/|AGgoTY MiN|_|5 4N|) dU|v|B d3a~|~|-|
al|_ we i|\|#3ri~|~,@l|_ bequ3at|-|

A|\||) |\|O+#In9 Q(_)ItE so |_Ea5+ aS +RUth
--i $4v/ t#0ug# #a+e wEre Whv/ me/v 8/^Ea+h3--
B3ca(_)sE my fAth3/^ |_ivE|) h1S s()U|_
love 1S +|-|3 \\/h()|_[- and |\/|()r[- +Ha/v 4L|_