my father moved through dooms of love

by E. E. Cummings

              34

My ph@th3/^ mov3D THro(_)G|-| dOoms of l()ve
+|-|/~0ugh SAmEs Of Am th/^0|_|gh #4v[-S 0F 91v3,
5in9ing 3a(# mornInG o|_|~|~ ()/= 3ac|-| |\|1GhT
mY fathe/^ mO\/[-d ~|~|-|roUGH c|3/Ot|-|5 0f h[-ight

~|~HiS mo~|~ionle5s Forg[-tf|_|l w|-|3re
TU/^nec| AT |-|iS 9l4|\|ce t() 5|-|1NiNg h3r3;
tH@t !f(50 Timic| a!r IS /=i/^m)
|_|nd[-r |-|Is 3`/[-S \\/0ul|) 5~|~!r @Nd Sq|_|i/^|\/|

NEw/_`/ @s f/~o|\/| Un|3U/~i3D w#![|-|
f|_oAt$ ~|~he ph1/^st wH(),h1s 4pr1/_ +o|_|ch
drOVE S/_3ep1ng $e|_\/ES tO s|/\|aRm tH3I/~ fA~|~[-S
w0ke [>R[-Amers t() +he!/^ gh0stLy /^o0+s

aND Sh()uld $o|\/|[- |/\|hy CoM/>l3te|_y |/\|33/>
m`/ Fa+|-|er'5 F!N9ers bRO|_|Gh+ hE/^ sLe[-/O:
\/4iN|_y N0 $m4llEs+ V()ice m!gHt C/~y
/=OR h3 Cou|_c| f3eL Th3 |v|ouN+aI|\|s 9/^O\\/.

/_1FtI/vg t|-|3 V@ll3Y$ o/= T#E S3a
|v|Y FATh[-r |v|0vED t#Ro|_|Gh 9rieF5 of jO`/;
p/~a!sINg @ /=0reh3ad c@l|_E|) THe moon
s!ngINg dEsir3 !nto b[-91n

J()y \\/@5 |-|is So|\|G 4|\|d J()v/ $() Pu/~e
a |-|[-ART Of $~|~ar 8y hiM c()ulc| $T[-E/~
a/vd pUr[- 5o /v()w A|\||) /voW sO `/3$
T|-|[- WR!S+$ oph +wiLigh+ Wo(_)lc| R3JOi[3

keen @S m!D5|_|m|v|[-R's |<33n bEy()|\|d
co/vc3ivIng miNd oph $uN \\/iLl s~|~and,
50 $~|~ri(tLy(0V3/^ (_)t|v|O5+ hi|v|
5O HU93ly) $TOOD m`/ fa~|~h[-r'$ dRea|v|

|-|1s Fl3s# \\/AS phL3$|-| his Bl()()c| w4s |3lo0c|:
|\|o #U/v9/^Y |v|@n but wiS|-|[-[> h1m Fooc|;
n0 c/~1p/O|_3 |/\|oU/_d|\|'t (/^eEp o|\|3 |v|!le
|_|/Ohi/_|_ +o 0/v/_y se3 H1|\/| 5|\/|i|_[-.

5CoRn1N9 +hE />O|v|p oF muS~|~ anc| S#4|_l
My FAtH[-r |\/|O\/e|) +HRo|_|gH [>ooms Oph ph[-3L;
|-|1$ ang3/^ |/\|a5 A$ rig|-|t a$ /^AIn
h15 />i~|~Y w@5 @S 9/^Een 4S g/^AiN

se/>t[-m|33r1n9 4R|v|5 Oph `/eA/~ ext3nD
y3s |-|uM|3lY \\/EAL~|~H t0 F()e 4Nd /=/~1e/vd
~|~H4N h3 ~|~() f()0L!S|-| aND ~|~o \\/isE
o/=feR3d iMM[-4SurA8L3 !S

/O/~0|_|d|_Y @/v|)(|3`/ o[t0BErIng FL4Me
83[Kon3c|)as e4/~+|-| w!ll downwArD cli|v|8,
so na|<ec| For Im|v|()rta/_ w()/~k
hiS sh()ul|)[-r$ mA/^C#e[> 4ga1|\|s+ T#3 c|aRk

HiS $orro|/\| w@S a5 ~|~/^(_)3 A5 brEAd:
nO /_iA/~ LoOked #iM !/v ~|~|-|e |-|Ea[>;
I/= EV[-/~y fr13/vD b[-cAM3 |-|I5 fo3
h3'd l4uGh aND b(_)1lc| a woRl[> with s|\|o\\/.

|\/|v/ /=a~|~her mov3|) thro(_)9# +hey5 of |/\|e,
$inG!nG eaCh /v[-|/\| /_[-Af ()UT of Each t/~33
(@|\|c| Everv/ (hILc| W@S 5(_)r3 ~|~#@~|~ s/>/^!ng
d4/vC3D w|-|e/v $#e he@/~c| my fa~|~H3r sing)

~|~h[-N Let Men ki|_|_ w|-|ic|-| [aNN()+ 5|-|4r[-,
/_[-t b/_OO|) a/v|) fleSh b3 mu|) a/v|) m!R3,
SCh[-mINg I|v|49i/vE,/Oass10N |/\|1L/_3d,
f/~3e|)o|\/| 4 drUg +#AT's bOugh~|~ anc| s()/_D

g!V1ng T() stEAl @|\|[> CRu3/_ Kin|),
4 hEa/~+ +o FeaR,tO c|()ub~|~ 4 m1n[>,
tO |)iphf3r a [>iseas[- Oph Sa|v|E,
[()NfOR|v| thE PIn|\|aC/_E o/= aM

~|~H()u9h dU/_l |/\|e/^E al/_ w3 T4s+e a$ 8/~iG#t,
B1~|~teR Al|_ |_|~|~~|~Erly +hiNg$ s|/\|E3t,
ma9go~|~y M!nus 4nd c||_|m8 |)EAT#
@/_l WE 1|\|h3r1+,al|_ |3EQ(_)ea+#

A|\|D no~|~hi/vG q(_)it3 5O L3@st as t/^uTH
--1 $@Y Th0ug# hAt3 |/\|3rE \\/Hy men BreA~|~|-|[---
8[-c@USe |v|y FaTHeR /_1vE|) #1s $o|_||_
L()ve is tH3 \\/|-|Ole a/v[> |v|Ore ~|~#an all