my father moved through dooms of love

by E. E. Cummings
              34

my phAtH[-r |v|OV3d ~|~h/^()(_)g# c|o()|\/|s oF /_O\/E
~|~h/~OUgH $ames OF @|\/| tHro(_)9h |-|@ves ()/= GivE,
s!/vginG eaC# M0/^ni|\|g ()(_)t Of 3@ch |\|!gH+
M`/ faTHEr m()v3d thR()ugh de/>~|~hs 0/= He19|-|t

~|~#i5 |v|()+i()nl3s5 /=o/^G3~|~/=uL |/\|HER[-
turN3c| at h!$ g|_anc[- To $Hi/ving H3/~e;
tHa+ iF(s0 +!Mi|) air !s /=!/^m)
unD3r h!5 3y3S \\/0U/_c| $~|~!r @|\|d 5Qu!/^m

newL`/ aS fr()m |_|n|3u/~I3c| WHi(h
phlOaTs T|-|e FI/^s~|~ W#O,his @p/^i/_ t0uch
D/^()v[- $|_[-3/>i|\|g $[-Lv[-$ to sWa/~m ~|~H3i/^ /=4TeS
wok3 dream3Rs +o ~|~He1/^ 9h()5Tly /~Oot5

aNd s#()u|_d Som3 W#`/ [ompl3t3lv/ |/\|[-ep
|\/|y ph@t|-|[-/~'s /=!nger5 bro(_)9#+ #E/^ S|_3Ep:
vaInLy |\|() S|\/|4/_L3st \/O!ce M19H~|~ C/~y
for H3 (()uLD ph[-E/_ th[- mOun+A!/vs grow.

/_1fti|\|g T#[- va/_l3Y$ 0f +hE S3@
my /=4t|-|[-r |\/|Ov3|) t|-|/^0(_)Gh 9R!3FS oF j0`/;
/O/^aisI|\|9 a /=o/^[-|-|34d ca/_l3d the m()on
5i/vg!n9 |)e5!r3 Into 839iN

JO`/ WA5 #is S0ng 4nd Joy So />|_|R[-
a h3@r~|~ Of sta/~ by hi|\/| Co(_)/_d 5+3[-/~
4nd /Our3 SO n0w 4N|) |\|0|/\| So Y[-S
The wRi$t$ Of +|/\|!L!Gh~|~ W()(_)|_|) rej()i[e

k3[-/v as |v|iDs(_)|v||v|3r'5 |<3e|\| bEyO|\|D
conc[-!vIng M1N|) o/= 5u|\| \\/il|_ $tAN[>,
sO st/~!C~|~/_Y(0vER ut|v|O$~|~ h!|\/|
$o hUGe|_v/) 5+00d mv/ F4+h3r'$ |)/^3Am

hi$ f|_[-$h |/\|As F/_e5h |-|is 8|_o0d |/\|@s B/_ooD:
n() H|_||\|9/~`/ m4n but W!5h3|) #!M f00c|;
no cr!/O/>|_e \\/o|_|ldn't cr[-[-/O 0|\|3 |\/|i/_3
|_|/>HilL t0 ()nLv/ s3E H1|\/| $|v|ilE.

5c()R/vinG ~|~#3 Po|\/|p oF |\/|USt a|\|c| sh@lL
Mv/ fat|-|er mo\/Ed th/~ough c|oOms oF /=eeL;
|-|!s 4|\|G3/^ |/\|a$ A$ /~1gh+ 45 /~4!n
his />!TY \\/As as gre3n @s gr@IN

se/>~|~eMBeR!ng A/~mS O/= Y[-@r EXT3/vd
YES #um|3lv/ \\/Ea/_T|-| ~|~o ph0E @nd f/~1[-Nc|
+ha/v #3 to ph00lIs|-| 4|\|D +() wi$3
ophfeRec| im|\/|[-4Sur@b|_e 15

/>r0u[>Lv/ @Nc|(|3v/ ()ct()berINg f|_ame
beck()ned)@5 [-@/^tH Wi|_l |)oWNw4rd (|_iMb,
s() nake|) Fo/^ 1mMO/^t4|_ WOr|<
|-|iS 5ho(_)/_d[-Rs M@r[|-|3d 4g@I|\|5+ +|-|E DArk

hi5 sorr()|/\| \\/a5 a5 +Rue @$ br3@|):
/vO lIar |_()0|<e|) Him IN t|-|[- h3aD;
iph [-veRY f/~i3nd becAm3 |-|is ph()e
h3'|) laUg|-| A/vd bu!Ld a wo/^/_[> \\/ith $n0w.

my f@the/^ Mo\/3d +|-|/~OUgH t|-|ev/s oph \\/e,
sIng1ng eaC|-| /v3|/\| le@ph Out of E4(h +r3[-
(AN[> Ev3ry chilc| \\/aS S|_|/^e Th4~|~ $P/^I|\|g
dAnc[-d wh3|\| she #e4/^d |v|y Fat#e/^ $ing)

th3n l3+ m3N kiLl w|-|ich [@/v/vOt 5H@/^E,
le+ B|_()0|) @n|) fL35# Be |v|uc| @|\|c| m!/^3,
sC#[-mI/vg i|v|aGIn3,p@SsIon w1|_L3d,
/=R[-3D0M 4 c|/^(_)G t|-|@~|~'5 bouG|-|T A/vD 5olc|

G!viNG to ST3Al An|) c/^(_)3|_ K!nD,
a heart +o fEA/~,to [>oU8~|~ a m!nc|,
t() D!ff3r a diS3@se oF sa|v|3,
[O/vfor|\/| +h[- />i|\||\|a(le 0ph am

thO(_)gH c||_|ll We/^e All |/\|e Ta5+[- 4s br1ght,
bI~|~TEr 4|_l |_|tt3r/_`/ tHin9s S|/\|EeT,
Ma9go~|~v/ M!NUs an|) D(_)m|3 [>3ATH
4|_|_ W[- I/v#[-/^it,al|_ beQ|_|eA+#

4/vd n0t#1ng qu1Te so l3ast AS tr|_|T#
--I $4v/ ~|~|-|o(_)9# hAtE |/\|3r[- |/\|hv/ |v|en Br[-atHe--
8E[@uSe mv/ /=a~|~#3r |_!\/[-d #I5 $o|_|L
l()\/e I5 +hE |/\|h0|_e @nD |v|OrE t|-|@|\| A/_L
the demonweb

my father moved through dooms of love
