it may not always be so; and i say

it may not always be so; and i say
e.e. cummings

it may not always be so; and i say
that if your lips, which i have loved, should touch
another's, and your dear strong fingers clutch
his heart, as mine in time not far away;
if on another's face your sweet hair lay
in such silence as i know, or such
great writhing words as, uttering overmuch, 
stand helplessly before the spirit at bay;


if this should be, i say if this should be--
you of my heart, send me a little word;
that i may go unto him, and take his hands,
saying, Accept all happiness from me.
Then shall i turn my face, and hear one bird
sing terribly afar in the lost lands.


In e.e. cummings' "it may not always be so; and i say," the narrator seems to be contemplating his fear of the unknown. The main issue of the poem could be the strength of the relationship between the narrator and his lover; he appears worried that his lover will eventually leave him for another, but despite knowing this potential fate, he will continue to love his partner.

The organization of the poem depicts how strongly the narrator feels towards his lover. Overall, the poem is listing future actions the narrator's lover may do with another, and the narrator concludes that he will "go unto him, and take his hands, / saying, Accept all happiness from me" (lines 11-12). However, immediately after this, he talks of turning a face, a sign that he isn't actually accepting of the situation. As one turns his or her face from a lover, it's usually because of an expression that would betray his or her actual emotions. It could be assumed, therefore, that the narrator, despite his actions, may never recover from the idea that his lover will leave him. He nevertheless sacrifices his own happiness for his lover's, hiding his own dissatisfaction in an attempt to appear optimistic for the future.

Specifically with "if your lips, which i have loved, should touch / another's, and your dear strong fingers clutch / his heart" (lines 2-4), the narrator seem detached from this "other" individual. The placement of "another's" and "his heart" in separate lines could represent the division the narrator feels from his lover; it could symbolize his hesitance towards the idea that there's "another" with whom his lover could fraternize. Just as an individual would pause when questioning the future of the relationship between his or her lover, the narrator pauses, somewhat uncomfortably, at the thought of another lover. 

Unfortunately, it's impossible to precisely predict what will happen in the future. "i may go unto him" (line 11) represents the narrator's hope that he will do this, not that he will do it. Just as he fears his lover leaving him, he also fears his inability to cope with the situation. Throughout the poem, the narrator constantly uses "if" statements, only acting certain when he mentions that he shall "turn [his] face, and hear one bird / sing terribly afar in the lost lands" (lines 13-14). Although their future is indefinite, the narrator is confident that he would wallow in depression should his lover leave him. 

Because of the uncertainty of future outcomes, cummings could be arguing that thinking of the future is a trivial matter. The narrator of the poem seems immersed in love at the present time, only evoking sadness when he speaks of the future. Why should he spend time thinking about what could happen when he could be enjoying the time that he is spending with his lover? All relationships will eventually come to an end, whether it be through a split or through death; if the narrator concerns himself with this forthcoming end, he won't be able to find happiness in the present.