the demonweb; my father moved through dooms of love

my father moved through dooms of love

by E. E. Cummings

              34

MY /=4t|-|E/^ Mo\/3[> ~|~hro(_)g# dooms ()ph lovE
TH/^0ug|-| S@|\/|e$ oF @m +hrougH H@ve5 of g1v[-,
$I/vg1/vg each m()/~/v!ng O(_)~|~ ()F e@(|-| n1Ght
MY faT#3R |\/|()V3|) T#/~O(_)9h |)3/>~|~h5 0ph h[-!GHt

th!5 moT1ON|_3ss foR9e+f(_)L wH3RE
tu/~Ned at h!S 9/_anc[- t0 shi/v!/vg H[-R[-;
T|-|@~|~ iph(s0 +!m![> a!r i$ f!r|\/|)
u|\||)[-r #!S ev/e$ Would S~|~i/^ anD 5Q(_)1rM

/vEw|_v/ a$ ph/^Om U/vb|_|/~iEd Wh1Ch
FlO4t$ ~|~He fiR5+ who,H15 aP/^!l +()Uc#
Dr0\/[- 5LeEping $3L\/[-5 ~|~o sw@/^|v| T#3iR /=A+3s
|/\|Oke d/~EamerS to +#eir G|-|0sTly /~oo+$

@nD Sh0uLd 5O|v|3 |/\|hY (Om/O|_[-+ElY |/\|e3/O
mv/ /=@th3/^'s ph1/v93/^s B/~Oug#T H3/~ s/_eE/>:
v@inLY /v() s|\/|A/_/_est vO!cE mi9|-|t c/^`/
for |-|e could fE[-l T#3 |v|O|_|NtAInS GRo\\/.

l1fting the vAlLEY5 O/= t#E 5[-4
|\/|Y f@ThEr MovE|) +hRoug|-| gr![-fS OF j0y;
pRaiSInG A f0rehe@d c4|_|_ED ~|~H[- |\/|oo/v
s!|\|GInG |)351rE 1|\|+o beg!/v

jOY |/\|a5 H15 50|\|G a/v[> j0y S0 P|_|R[-
a |-|e4rT of $+a/^ |3`/ hI|v| [OULD 5teE/~
aN[> />u/^3 so /vOW @|\||) /v0|/\| $o ye$
the |/\|/~1$+5 of +wi/_iG#+ w0Uld RejoI(3

K[-en 4S |v|idsumM3R'S |<33N |33y()n[>
[ONce!\/Ing mI|\||) of 5|_|n wilL stanc|,
5O $tRic~|~|_Y(()V3/^ U+m()$+ |-|im
S0 |-|Ug3|_Y) $t()()|) |\/|v/ f@tHeR'$ dRe@m

|-|I5 /=LeSh wAs fLeSh hI$ 8|_0()d \\/aS 8|_O()d:
No h|_|ng/~y |\/|4N 8ut \\/iSH3d hiM /=o()[>;
/vo (RIPplE |/\|ou|_D|\|'t c/^eEp 0/ve |\/|Il3
uP|-|i|_/_ t0 Onlv/ se3 #1|\/| S|\/|ILe.

s[0/^N1/vG +#e />0M/> ()ph m|_|s+ @N[> $#@ll
MY Fa+he/~ move[> thr()(_)gh [>00Ms of fe[-L;
His a/v9[-R Wa$ aS rigHT as raIn
hi$ />!Ty wA$ aS 9/^[-eN AS 9rA!/v

SeP+em83r!ng @/^|\/|S 0/= `/[-A/~ e><~|~End
yEs h(_)m|3|_y Weal+|-| to /=o3 an|) Fri[-nd
TH@n he T() F0oLIS# an|) t0 |/\|153
of/=[-r[-d iM|v|3A$u/~A8L[- is

prOu|)l`/ a|\|d(By 0[+()8er1nG /=l@m3
8ec|<0N[-d)as [-4/^th W!l|_ [>o\\/N|/\|ar|) Cl1|v|8,
5O |\|aK3d for i|\/|Mort@l |/\|orK
hIs 5#0(_)|_c|er5 MaR(#Ed AgAi/v5t T#3 D@/~k

#!S $()rroW W@$ 45 ~|~/~|_|e @s 8R[-@c|:
/vO |_1@/^ lO0k[-d #I|v| i/v tHe #[-Ad;
1f [-v3/^y /=RiEnD b3[@M[- hiS f0[-
|-|e'c| |_@(_)gh a/vD b(_)!|_|) A w()/~lc| w1t|-| $n()|/\|.

|v|`/ f@~|~h3r mOv3d ThR()(_)9H th3Ys O/= \\/[-,
s1|\|Gi/v9 3@[h NeW leaf ou+ oF each tr33
(@nc| 3V[-R`/ c#I/_c| waS S(_)re thAT S/>rinG
da|\|ce|) w#3n $H3 hE@rc| |\/|`/ /=ATh3/^ $1|\|G)

t|-|en |_ET m3/v kil/_ WhI[# C@n|\|oT $|-|4r[-,
leT BL()()c| an|) fLESH |3[- |v|Ud an[> |\/|irE,
5CHe|v|ing iMagi/ve,/>@sSi0|\| wil/_3|),
f/^Eec|o|\/| @ c|/~ug +|-|at'5 BoUgh~|~ an[> sol[>

GiV1nG T() $~|~[-@l @nd (/~uel K1nd,
a #e@r+ +o f[-@R,to [>oub+ a minD,
t0 |)ifph3r @ Dis[-4se of s4Me,
(0nphoRm th[- />1n|\|a(|_[- of A|\/|

T#ou9|-| [>uL/_ \\/[-rE ALL we tasTe as 8/~ig|-|T,
8iTt[-r al|_ u+t[-RlY +|-|i|\|gs 5|/\|3eT,
m4Ggoty Mi|\|u5 and du|\/||3 D[-at|-|
A/_|_ we !nheRit,ALl beq(_)[-atH

@/vd no~|~h1nG Q(_)!t[- so lE4St @S ~|~r(_)+H
--i 5av/ +houG|-| hAte |/\|[-/^3 wh`/ Men brea~|~HE--
|3eca(_)sE |v|Y fAth[-r lIVe[> #is soul
LoV3 i5 +|-|3 \\/Hole and |v|()/~3 ~|~|-|@|\| a/_l