my father moved through dooms of love

by E. E. Cummings

              34

|v|y fA~|~#3r |\/|o\/[-|) tH/^ou9h doo|v|s of lOVE
t#/~()|_|gh $4MEs of a|\/| ~|~h/~()U9h H4ves o/= Gi\/3,
sInG1/v9 e@[h moR|\|I/vg ()|_|+ Of E4ch /vIG|-|t
|\/|y f@+#Er |v|ovE|) tHr()|_|9h [>EpT#s 0f #e1G|-|~|~

~|~#!S |v|()tiOn|_35s fo/^9eTf|_||_ W#E/^E
~|~U/~NeD at hi$ 9lanCe T0 5|-|!nI|\|9 heRe;
~|~HA~|~ IF($() TIm1|) A1/^ !S firM)
(_)|\|c|E/^ hIs e`/3s \\/oU/_d S+1/^ a/v[> $qUi/^m

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/=lOaT$ ~|~|-|3 fiRsT w#o,#1$ APr1/_ ~|~oU(H
d/~ov3 5/_[-3p1NG s3l\/e5 tO $\\/ArM The!/~ ph4TE5
w()k3 dRe@|\/|ER$ ~|~o ~|~H[-I/^ Gh()$tly RoO~|~S

@N[> S#Ou/_|) S0|\/|e \\/Hv/ [()|v|p|_[-te|_y W3E/>
|v|y f@t#eR's fINge/~$ brougHt h[-/^ 5LEEP:
vai|\|ly n() S|v|al|_esT v0!([- M!G#t C/^v/
ph0R |-|e co(_)Ld /=ee/_ ~|~H3 m0UN+4INs g/~O\\/.

lif+i|\|g +|-|[- V4|_/_eYs of ~|~|-|e $3a
mv/ fatheR |\/|0v[-D tHr0uGh G/^i[-ph5 oF _/()y;
/OrA!sI|\|9 a f0re#e4d [A|_/_3|) +#e mooN
S!ng!n9 de$ir[- !|\|+() b3G!n

joy \\/As |-|Is So|\|g @/vd jOv/ S0 P(_)rE
@ #e4Rt oph 5~|~aR 8v/ H1M c()|_|ld $~|~e[-R
4n[> />U/^3 So now @Nc| |\|O|/\| $0 ye$
TH3 |/\|riSTs 0/= t\\/!|_1gh~|~ wo(_)lD r3J0ic[-

|<e[-|\| 4S m1[>SU|\/|m3/^'s k[-[-/v B3yond
(Onc[-iViNg |\/|iNd 0f 5Un \\/i|_/_ $t@n[>,
s0 S+RIcT/_y(0Ve/^ ut|\/|oS+ hIm
$o |-||_|9eLY) s+00D my fa+#3R'S |)/~eam

h!5 /=/_ESh w@s /=L3sh his b/_00[> w4s 8Looc|:
n0 hU/vg/^`/ m@/v but |/\|1shEc| |-|im F()()c|;
/vO c/~1/OPLE |/\|0|_|Ldn'~|~ c/~3eP 0Ne MiLE
u/O#il/_ tO OnL`/ 533 hi|v| 5|\/|1l3.

5C()/^Ning T|-|E pO|v|p o/= m|_|$T AN|) s|-|4/_/_
my fatHeR mov3[> th/~()|_|9|-| dOoms ()/= phee|_;
hiS a|\|G3/^ w4$ 4S /~1G#T as ra1/v
h!S />i+y w@S as g/^3E/v a5 G/~41/v

Se/>+ember!/vg a/^|v|S oph `/3ar 3xTe|\|d
y[-S |-|(_)mb|_v/ w3AL~|~h +() fo3 and fR![-N|)
t#4n h3 to ph0OL1sh a|\|d ~|~O wIs3
of/=3/~3d iM|\/|e4$(_)r@8le iS

Pr()(_)c|l`/ @/v[>(8y ocTOberi|\|9 ph/_4m3
|3eck0ne|))As 3aR+H \\/!lL downwarD CLimb,
so nAKed for i|v|mOrtAl woRk
#1s 5hou|_[>ers m4/~(h3[> @ga!|\|St +HE d@R|<

his 50/~/~()w \\/@$ 4$ True as B/^3aD:
no l!AR /_O0|<3D Hi|v| !n t|-|e h3ad;
IF eV3/^y FR1end beca|\/|[- #I5 f0E
#3'd LauG# an[> bu1lD @ w()rLd With snOw.

My fa~|~#er Moved +|-|r()|_|9h ~|~hEv/s oph W3,
SI/vg!ng eaCH N3W /_E4f 0Ut of 3aC# ~|~r3e
(a/vd [-veRY c|-|Ild \\/@s 5U/^e ~|~h4T 5/>Ring
[>a|\|c3|) whe/v s|-|e |-|3ard Mv/ ph@th3/~ $inG)

~|~|-|3|\| L3~|~ M3n KIll |/\|h1Ch (@|\|n0t $HAr[-,
/_3+ bloOD 4/vd Fl3sh 83 muD 4nd mI/^3,
s(#EMIng 1|\/|a9I/vE,/>ASs1o|\| \\/1l/_3D,
fre[-|)0M A |)r|_|g +#aT's B()ughT 4nd s()l|)

GIVIn9 tO steaL a|\|[> (r|_|e/_ |<i/v[>,
a #E@rt TO f[-Ar,+() d0|_||3t 4 mi/vd,
~|~O [>ifFE/^ a c|!SeAs[- of Sam[-,
cOnf0r|v| Th3 /OinnA[L[- OF a|\/|

+h()(_)gh |)ul/_ we/~3 @lL w3 ta5Te @$ brigh~|~,
8i~|~t3r A|_|_ utt3/~/_v/ ~|~|-|!/v95 $\\/eeT,
|\/|AGg()t`/ minu$ an[> d|_|M8 c|eAth
A/_l w3 !/vh3/~it,4ll 8[-q(_)eAth

@/v[> n0t|-|i/vg qU1t3 5o leaSt aS t/^|_|th
--I $4v/ +HouG|-| #4te we/^3 |/\|#`/ Me/v br3at|-|e--
8E(a(_)S[- |\/|`/ ph4t|-|e/~ /_1vec| #!s so(_)l
lOVE !$ t|-|3 w#o|_3 And M0/~e ThA|\| aLL