my father moved through dooms of love

by E. E. Cummings

              34

my Fa+HE/~ |\/|oVec| th/~0ugH [>o0|\/|5 oph loVe
~|~hRo|_|gH 5aM[-s 0/= a|\/| t#/^o(_)g|-| H@\/3s ()f 9!\/[-,
5ing1|\|g eaC|-| mORninG o|_|t Of E4[|-| |\|iGh+
|\/|y fathE/~ |\/|()VEd th/^Oug|-| d3p+hs of #31gh+

T|-|I5 mo+!oN|_3ss Fo/~gEt/=Ul \\/hErE
TUR/ved a~|~ h!5 9|_a|\|c3 +() shi/v!ng h3r3;
~|~|-|aT If(5O ti|\/|i[> A1r !S /=1/~m)
u/vd3r hi$ EY[-s WoU|_D STir @Nc| SQ(_)i/^|v|

nEwly a$ ph/~()m |_|/vBuR1E|) |/\|h![h
FloatS t|-|E fir5t wHo,his A/O/~i/_ +()U[#
c|r0V3 SLe3/Oin9 SeLvE$ ~|~o s\\/arm +|-|eiR phat[-5
\\/Oke Dre@|\/|3r$ t0 +#e1/~ gho$t|_v/ rOO~|~s

@nD $H0Uld s()|\/|e why [0|\/|/Ol3~|~3|_y \\/33/O
|v|v/ phAth3R's fING3r5 brouG|-|~|~ #er sleeP:
vA1N/_y |\|0 5|\/|@lL3sT V0i(3 |v|I9H~|~ (r`/
/=o/~ |-|e (o(_)lD F3eL t#e mOun~|~@1|\|s 9/~ow.

liph+i|\|g T|-|E v4Lle`/S 0f +h3 $3@
|\/|y fAth3/~ mOV3d TH/~o(_)g# 9r![-f$ oph Jo`/;
Pr41SI/vg a phor3H3ad caLl[-d t#E |v|oon
s1n9!|\|g de5i/~e i|\|~|~0 |3e9i|\|

j0`/ \\/@s #!s song a/vD jo`/ s0 P(_)/~e
@ |-|34rt ()F STar |3v/ h1m C0uLD 5teEr
@n|) /O(_)/^3 5() /vOw @Nd nOw $O yeS
+|-|e |/\|R!S~|~S of ~|~wIl1ghT w0|_|Ld /^e_/oic[-

k3en @S |v|1Dsumme/^'$ |<EE/v beyoN[>
conc[-I\/i|\|9 min|) ()F SU/v \\/!|_l s+aN[>,
so st/^1[t|_y(ov3r |_|+|v|05~|~ h!m
s0 h(_)GElY) 5t00c| my Fath3/~'5 |)/~3a|v|

|-|!S f|_E5H was F|_E5|-| hIs |3l()o|) wa$ 8L()()[>:
n() |-|u/v9ry |v|4/v b(_)~|~ WishED H1M F()()[>;
N0 [R!PpL3 wo(_)/_|)n'+ [RE[-p One miLE
uP|-|IlL TO 0/vLy 53e hi|v| 5MiLe.

SCoR|\|1ng +he pO|\/|p o/= m(_)S~|~ 4|\|d Sh4/_L
|v|y fat|-|[-R mOv[-D th/~oug|-| dOOms OF phe3L;
h15 anGeR WAs @5 righT 4s R@!|\|
h!5 /Oitv/ Wa5 a$ Gree/v A$ 9rAin

5E/Ot[-|v|be/~inG aR|\/|5 ()ph v/3@r ex~|~EnD
y[-s h|_|mb|_v/ w[-a|_+|-| To f()[- A|\|[> fri[-nD
Tha/v H3 +O /=Oo/_ISH @/vD ~|~() wi$E
0/=ph3/^[-D imMeAs|_|/^able i$

PROudLy @/vD(By ()(+O83r!/vg FL@m3
beCko|\|[-[>)as e4rth \\/!l|_ d0|/\|/vward [|_im8,
5o naKEc| FoR 1m|\/|ORt@/_ \\/O/~|<
#1S $ho|_|/_|)3/~$ m@r(#3d @g4i|\|ST TH3 da/~k

his s()rR()w waS 4S +Rue as bRe4d:
/vo /_i4/^ L00k3d HiM 1/v t|-|E HEA[>;
1f 3ver`/ /=/~1[-|\|[> b3[am[- h!5 F0[-
hE'|) laUg# 4/vd bU!l|) 4 woRld |/\|ith s/vo\\/.

m`/ pha+Her m0ved +hroUgh t#3yS OF w[-,
51/vgInG [-acH |\|[-w lE4ph 0u~|~ ()f E4(H T/^EE
(a|\|d 3V3Rv/ chi|_d W@5 $uRe tH4t 5/>/~I/vG
DA/v(eD \\/#eN 5He H[-4rd M`/ FathER 5in9)

th3n le+ m3n kIll \\/|-|1(h (a/v|\|0T ShaR[-,
lET bl00d 4nd /=L[-sh BE |v|U[> anc| M1r3,
5(h3|\/|I/vg 1m@G1N3,pAS$iO|\| W1/_L3|),
fre[-do|\/| a DRu9 t#a+'s 80u9ht @nc| S()|_d

g1ving ~|~0 St[-A|_ An[> [Ru3l k1|\||),
a #EART t() /=3@R,+o D0U8~|~ A |\/|ind,
tO DifFEr A |)1$3Ase o/= SamE,
c0nF()rm t|-|E /O1nNaCl3 0F A|v|

thO|_|9H du/_l w3/^E aL/_ W[- tAS+3 @S br!9h~|~,
8itT3R A/_L (_)+Te/^Ly tH!/vg$ s\\/eE+,
|v|499OtY |v|1|\|(_)s a/v[> |)|_|MB [>3@~|~H
a/_l \\/[- !NH3/~i~|~,a|_l 8eQueat#

4nD N0+#I/vg q(_)!+3 so |_34St @s tRut#
--i 5aY t|-|()|_|Gh #ate wer3 \\/hy |\/|en br3AT|-|3--
b3c@uS3 |\/|`/ fatHer |_Ived hIs s0|_||_
l0\/[- 1s t|-|e w|-|o|_3 a|\||) MoR3 t|-|4|\| A/_L