the demonweb; my father moved through dooms of love

my father moved through dooms of love

by E. E. Cummings

              34

my F4+|-|3r |\/|o\/Ed tH/^()ugH dOOms 0/= |_()vE
t#/~oUG|-| Sam[-5 0f am tH/^o(_)g# HavE5 OF 9iv3,
S!/vg!ng 3aCh |\/|Orn!/vg ou~|~ Of ea[h /viGht
m`/ /=4+h3/~ |v|O\/3d ~|~hroug# c|ePt|-|$ of heIgh~|~

t|-|I5 |v|()t10nle$s F0r93+ph|_|/_ |/\|HE/^e
~|~u/~/v3D @~|~ HI$ Gla|\|cE +O Sh!/v!/vg #e/^e;
t|-|a~|~ Iph(sO T1|\/|I|) @ir !s phiR|\/|)
Un|)eR h!s EY3s w0uld ST1r anD Squ1/~|\/|

nE|/\|ly @$ Fr0M un|3u/~1ed wH1C|-|
phl()@ts tH[- phi/^st \\/hO,hI5 A/>Ril ~|~()|_|(h
DrOVE $/_eep!nG 53|_ve5 T() SWarm +hE!R fA+3s
wOk[- |)/~e4mers t() th[-i/~ Gh0s~|~Ly /~()()+5

4nd shou/_D 5om3 W|-|`/ com/O/_3TELv/ We3p
|v|`/ f@T|-|[-R'5 phI|\|gers bRo(_)G#t #e/~ SL3EP:
vaIn/_`/ N() sma|_/_3s+ vOIc3 MIG#T (/~Y
FOR H[- C()(_)|_[> f3e/_ t#[- mou|\|+AInS gr0w.

l!ft1ng th3 VAL/_ey5 OF T#e 5e@
my Fat#3r MoV[-D +h/~ouG# 9/^ief$ of j0y;
/>/~4!5!ng 4 /=o/^3he@D [all3c| the |v|0O/v
siNg1nG c|[-sir3 1NT() 83gin

J()y Was hI$ $on9 anc| jov/ So /Ou/^3
a h[-4R~|~ of S~|~aR 8v/ h!M c()|_|l|) 5+3E/~
aN[> pU/^[- 5O no\\/ An[> /v()w So y3$
+H3 \\/riSTs ()ph T|/\|iLIg#~|~ Wo|_|/_c| Re_/o!cE

|<e[-|\| @5 |v|!c|sUm|\/|Er'S kEen Be`/()Nc|
[0|\|(3iV!|\|g |\/|i/v|) OF $un wi/_l STA/vD,
$O Str1[tlY(Ov[-r U+|v|osT hi|v|
5O |-|ug[-ly) s+O0c| |v|y fat|-|3r's D/~3aM

h!s fle$h WAs ph/_3sH his bl()()|) \\/as |3l()0|):
nO |-||_|nGry mAn 8u~|~ |/\|!5h3d #im food;
/v0 CRipp|_[- wo|_|lDN'T (r[-ep One M!/_[-
Up|-|i/_/_ t0 OnlY s33 h1|\/| $m1L3.

sco/^|\|1NG T#E po|v|/> 0ph |\/|U5t a/vD sh@ll
My /=aTh3/~ |v|o\/ed thRo(_)9h doo|v|S Oph fe3/_;
his @|\|ger W4S @s r1g|-|~|~ As r4!/v
H!5 p1+v/ |/\|A5 aS gre3n as g/^ai/v

$e/>tEm8erI/vg 4/~m$ ()F Y[-4/~ e><t[-Nd
v/[-s HuM|3|_y We4l~|~|-| T() f()[- an[> fRI[-/vd
t#@N H3 ~|~o ph0Ol!sH 4nd TO WiSe
0f/=3R[-|) imme@suRA|3/_3 is

p/^()u|)|_v/ aNd(b`/ OctObe/^in9 /=LaM3
|33cKoN[-c|)as 3AR~|~h wi|_|_ D0|/\|/vward (li|v|b,
so /vAk3[> F0R immo/^+a/_ w0Rk
hi5 SHoulc|[-/^5 |v|a/~ched A9a1n$t the c|ark

HI$ 5()/~R()W w@5 @S tr(_)e aS b/^Ead:
n() li4r l0oK3D |-|1m !n +h3 |-|3Ad;
iph [-VEry F/^I[-nd b3[4m3 h!s f0e
he'|) |_@U9|-| 4/v[> |3uil|) 4 |/\|()/^|_|) W1tH $|\|()w.

My f@th3r MOve|) tHr0ugh t#[-ys Oph we,
Sin9!/vg 3Ac|-| |\|3|/\| |_e4/= 0ut oph 34ch +r3e
(a/v|) 3ver`/ ChIlD W@S suRe th4~|~ sp/^!/v9
daN([-d When $He H3aRd My F@~|~|-|e/~ sing)

t|-|E/v le~|~ |\/|en kI/_|_ Wh1[h cA|\|noT $|-|A/^[-,
/_3~|~ B|_ood a/vd /=l3sH b3 mu|) A/v[> |\/|Ire,
Sc#e|\/|1ng iMAgiNe,p@s$1()N Wi/_l[-d,
freeDO|\/| A d/~Ug +#a~|~'S 80(_)G|-|+ 4Nd so/_D

gi\/ing ~|~0 $T[-A/_ a/vc| C/~u3l |<InD,
@ h3ART ~|~O fEA/~,~|~o DouBT 4 MI|\||),
t() [>1phFer a [>is34S[- of $@Me,
(0/vFo/^|\/| tH3 />in/v@c/_e oph 4|v|

th()u9# [>U/_l w[-r3 4/_L |/\|E ~|~ast3 a$ bR!gH+,
B!tter a|_|_ (_)tT3/^|_`/ +HiNgs 5|/\|EeT,
mA99oT`/ min(_)s @nd |)Umb [>ea~|~H
a|_|_ \\/e 1/vhER1t,4|_l B[-QUe4Th

An|) |\|oT#i|\|G qu1~|~3 $O L[-aS~|~ As ~|~/~UTh
--I $ay ~|~h()u9H hAte wer3 w#y |\/|eN 8r[-at#e--
b3(aUSe |v|y /=@t|-|3R liV[-[> |-|i$ 50u|_
|_OvE I$ ~|~h[- \\/HOle aNd |\/|ore tH@N @ll