my father moved through dooms of love

by E. E. Cummings

              34

my FAther |\/|()\/ed +|-|r()ugh |)Oom5 of |_()\/E
+#/~ough 5@|\/|es oph 4|\/| thRoug|-| h@\/3s Of g!v3,
sIng1nG E4c|-| |v|()Rni/vg oU~|~ of e4c|-| n1G#~|~
|\/|Y pha~|~h[-r m()v3d ~|~h/^ouG# [>3p+hs 0F |-|3ig#t

+his MO+!onL3S5 /=0rGe~|~Ful W#Er[-
+|_|rn3d @T his gl4nc[- +() $HI/vi|\|g |-|3/^3;
TH@T 1f(5o ~|~1mic| 4ir 1s ph1Rm)
u/vd3/^ |-|!$ Ev/[-$ \\/oU|_[> st1R aN|) squIr|v|

/v[-w/_y As phr0M unB(_)/^ie|) \\/|-|ic|-|
Fl0ats t#E ph1rsT \\/hO,|-|!s @P/~!|_ tOU(#
|)R0v3 5/_33/>i|\|g S[-/_v35 tO sw@r|v| ~|~Heir Fa+es
w0K[- [>/^eAm[-rs +o th[-ir gho$t/_v/ roo+S

aNd Sh()|_|lD So|v|e Whv/ CO|v|/O/_3t[-lv/ w[-[-P
mv/ fa~|~h3r'S /=!Nge/^S bro|_|gH+ He/^ SLe3/>:
vAiNly No 5Ma/_|_e$t vO![3 mi9H+ c/^Y
for h[- [o|_|Ld /=EE/_ +hE |v|ounta!N5 Gr0w.

|_ifting t#[- v4l/_Ev/$ Of t|-|e seA
|\/|Y ph@ther moV3[> +#/^()|_|9h Gri[-phs o/= Joy;
p/~A!SiNg @ foREhe4|) C@L/_e[> ~|~H3 m0oN
$in9i|\|G c|eSi/^E i|\|T0 |3[-GiN

_/oy w@S his song A|\|D Joy s0 pu/^e
A #[-Ar+ of sta/~ by H!m [O|_|ld st[-e/^
@nd />U/~e sO Now a/vD NO\\/ $() YES
Th3 wRi$tS 0ph tW1L!9hT \\/()Ul[> rEJOi[3

K3en a$ mID5(_)|\/||v|[-r's KE3|\| b[-Yond
C()nCeIviN9 M1/vD OF $uN \\/IL|_ S~|~A|\|[>,
So st/~ic~|~|_v/(Ove/^ (_)t|v|os+ |-|im
$0 #ugelv/) S+oo|) My f@t#ER'$ |)rea|\/|

hiS flesh |/\|@$ /=L[-SH h1s blood wa$ Blo()D:
n() hu/vgR`/ m@n 8uT |/\|Is|-|3c| H1M Foo|);
|\|O cR!/O/O|_e Wo|_||_dn't (reep o|\|3 mil3
U/OhI|_l ~|~() 0nLy S[-E hi|\/| s|\/|1/_e.

5co/^|\|!|\|g thE po|v|p o/= m(_)5t a|\|[> s|-|AL/_
mv/ /=At|-|3/~ |\/|0V[-d t|-|r0UG# doo|\/|s oph /=[-El;
h!s 4N93R was aS r!G|-|+ 4S rai|\|
H15 /O1tv/ wa5 4s Gr3eN a$ gr@i/v

sepT3Mb3rI|\|9 @/~|\/|s OF Ye4r ex+3nd
v/Es HU|\/|8lY |/\|[-ALt|-| To f0[- @nD Frienc|
th@|\| he t() fO0lIS|-| And t() w!$E
()ffe/~ec| iMm[-a$(_)rab|_[- i$

pr()uDly a/v[>(|3y 0(T0BeR!/vg ph/_4|\/|3
b[-ckoN[-c|)@S 3aRth Will Do\\/n|/\|A/~d (l1|v|B,
so /vA|<eD fOr !mmor~|~@l W()Rk
hIs s|-|Ou/_[>e/^$ |v|A/^ched @gAinsT +|-|e |)4RK

H!s $o/^/^O\\/ WAs @$ ~|~rU3 A5 B/~34|):
|\|O liar |_o()KeD #Im 1|\| +he hEad;
1f e\/Erv/ /=/^i3n[> |33[a|\/|3 his f()[-
he'[> l@ugh A/vd B(_)i|_c| @ woR|_|) W!t|-| s/vo|/\|.

my fa~|~H[-/~ |v|()V3d th/^OU9|-| ~|~#eys O/= w[-,
$1n9i/vg Eac|-| n3w |_Ea/= 0Ut O/= EACh ~|~r3E
(an[> [-vERy [|-|I|_c| wa$ suRE THat Sp/^In9
d4/vced |/\||-|3/v $h[- he4rd my f@Th3r $iN9)

+heN le~|~ m[-|\| ki/_l wH1[h [4N/vot $#@Re,
L[-+ bl()Oc| and /=/_E$# b3 |v|ud 4Nc| |\/|IR3,
sc#3m!|\|g i|\/|Agin[-,p45si()n w!lled,
f/^EeDOm 4 [>Rug t|-|@~|~'s B()u9Ht a|\||) $0lc|

g1\/1ng t0 s+eal a|\|D cru[-|_ |<In|),
@ HeaRt tO f3aR,to d()|_|8t 4 M1|\||),
tO di/=/=eR A |)!s[-45E Oph $aM[-,
c()n/=0rm +he PinnaCle Of am

tho(_)gh du|_l w3r[- @|_|_ \\/E tA$te A5 BRig#+,
b1Tte/~ 4lL |_|Tt3R|_v/ THinGs sW33~|~,
M@gGO+v/ MiNuS aN|) d|_||v|b De4t#
a/_/_ w[- inhe/^IT,Al|_ b3quEa~|~h

an[> nOThINg quite s() /_E4st A$ T/~u+h
--1 Sa`/ +ho(_)g# HA+3 w3rE w#v/ men 8/^eath[---
bE[a(_)5E |\/|y f@th[-r LI\/E|) Hi$ s()Ul
l0ve 1$ th3 who/_[- @|\|d MOr3 ThA|\| alL