my father moved through dooms of love

by E. E. Cummings

              34

my fath3/~ m()\/Ed thRO(_)G|-| d00|\/|s 0ph |_Ov3
t#/^oUGh $A|\/|[-s 0/= A|v| +h/~O|_|9|-| #AvE$ of g1ve,
s1nGI|\|G 34cH mOR|\|!|\|9 out oF E4(h NigH~|~
My f4~|~h3/^ mO\/eD THrO|_|gh |)[-Pt|-|s ()/= #eig|-|~|~

+hIs |\/|()+1o|\|le$$ f0/^9E~|~fu|_ wHeRe
turnec| a~|~ #15 g|_4|\|[3 T() sh!|\|1NG h3/~e;
t#aT iF(s0 t!mId a1/^ !s FIrm)
uNd[-/~ his e`/35 |/\|o|_||_d s~|~i/~ @n[> sQ(_)irM

/vEwly @5 F/~O|v| uNBu/~1ec| w|-|!(h
fLOA~|~5 The /=I/^st |/\|hO,hIs AP/^il +oUch
[>r0\/[- Sle[-/OinG seLv3s to s\\/A/^|v| t|-|E1R phA+E5
W0|<e d/~[-@meRs +0 t#eir gHo5~|~|_y r()oTs

4n[> shOULD s()M[- \\/hy [o|\/|/O/_EtelY w[-ep
mY ph4+#Er'S F!ng3rs bRo|_|gh~|~ H[-r $/_[-[-/>:
v@iN|_y NO $ma|_|_[-5t vOi[[- migh+ Crv/
Fo/^ |-|e [o|_||_|) fe3/_ The |v|0U/v+4In5 GrO\\/.

/_iftin9 ~|~He VallE`/S ()f tHE 5e@
|\/|Y /=Ath[-r mov[-c| ThRou9|-| grIeF5 Of _/oY;
p/^a1$!|\|g a fo/^3H[-@c| Cal/_3|) +He mo()n
5ing!NG Des1/~e !nTo B3G!n

joY waS |-|is 5()/vg ANd J0Y $0 P|_|re
A |-|[-aR~|~ 0F staR 8v/ #i|v| (oul|) s~|~EE/^
@/v[> p|_|R3 sO No\\/ @|\||) noW s() `/3S
t#3 W/~1s~|~s Of tw1|_ig|-|T W0ulc| /^[-joiC[-

Keen @s mIc|5u|\/|me/^'5 k3E|\| B3v/()n[>
c0/vCEiVi/vG m1n|) 0f su|\| Wi/_|_ 5t4ND,
$O St/~I(TLy(OvER |_|tmos~|~ HiM
5() HugeLv/) st()o|) my fA~|~|-|e/~'$ d/^[-aM

|-|I$ f/_35h w@$ fleSh hIs B|_oo[> |/\|as 8LOo[>:
no hU|\|GRy Man Bu~|~ |/\|is#E|) |-|1m /=ooD;
n() [ri/>/>/_E wOUL[>/v't c/^3[-p 0|\|e |\/|Il3
up|-|1ll ~|~() OnLY s3[- |-|i|v| sm1le.

sC0/~ni|\|9 TH[- Pomp ()/= |v|u$t an[> $H4l/_
|\/|v/ fa+#er MoVe|) +|-|rOuGh DoOm$ O/= f[-3l;
Hi5 aNg[-r w@$ as righ~|~ As rAIN
hi5 /Oi+y \\/a5 as 9/~ee|\| A$ gr4iN

53/>tEmbe/~i|\|G @/^|v|$ 0f y3Ar e><tEn[>
y3$ HU|\/|blv/ w[-aL~|~|-| ~|~O foe ANc| /=/^i3/vd
tHA|\| h[- t() /=()0li5h a/vd ~|~o wis3
()ff3/^3|) 1m|v|ea5uRABL3 Is

pr()|_|DLy 4nD(Bv/ O[+0b3/^IN9 F/_A|\/|E
bEckoN[-d)4s 3aRt|-| wIl|_ [>o\\/nw4Rd CLImb,
S0 n@KE[> fOr i|v||\/|o/^~|~aL |/\|oRk
hIS 5#ou|_DeRs |\/|arC#[-[> AGA!nST t#[- |)4R|<

his soRroW w4$ as ~|~/~U3 a5 bRead:
no l14r |_00k[-d him I/v tHE HEAD;
iph 3vERv/ phr13|\|[> bec@|v|3 hiS F()3
he'c| |_@|_|gh a|\|[> |3uild @ w()RL|) \\/It|-| 5N()\\/.

|\/|y /=@thEr m()Ved thr0|_|gH +h[-v/$ 0f We,
SiNgi|\|G 3@[h Ne|/\| /_3af o|_|~|~ oF Ea(|-| ~|~r3E
(and everY c#ilD \\/4S $uRe t#@+ s/>Ri|\|g
dAn[ed whE/v Sh[- He4r[> |v|y fatH3/^ SI|\|g)

~|~Hen /_eT m[-|\| k!|_/_ \\/hich [4N|\|oT ShaRE,
|_e~|~ |3|_()O[> AN|) F|_esh B3 |v|uD a|\||) mi/^3,
$(HEm!/vg IMAg1/v3,P@5$Io|\| w!l|_3d,
f/^Eedom a c|ruG Th4t's boU9hT a|\|[> s0Ld

9iv!|\|9 TO s~|~e@l a|\|[> [r(_)3|_ KInD,
a |-|3arT T0 /=EA/^,t0 |)oubT A |\/|!nd,
+() |)!fF3R a c|i5[-45e Oph Sam3,
(OnF()rm the p!N|\|4(L3 of a|\/|

THOuG# [>|_|ll W3re A/_/_ \\/e ~|~As~|~3 a5 bRi9H~|~,
8!tt3r a|_L u+tEr|_`/ +Hin9S $w3[-t,
|v|@Ggot`/ Mi|\||_|5 @N[> |)(_)mb D3ath
a/_l we I/v|-|3rit,a|_L 83q|_|E4TH

A/vd no~|~#iN9 QuiT3 so l3a$T @s +/^|_|tH
--I SAy +H()|_|9# H4T[- |/\|[-/~e w|-|Y m3|\| b/^[-at|-|E--
8e(aUs3 |v|v/ F4tH[-R |_IVE|) |-|!$ S0u/_
/_0V3 Is tH3 |/\|HoL3 A|\|[> |v|0r3 +h@N a/_l