Séamus Heaney-Digging Flashcards
Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests; snug as a gun.
Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests; snug as a gun.
Under my window, a clean rasping sound
When the spade sinks into gravelly ground:
My father, digging. I look down
Under my window, a clean rasping sound
When the spade sinks into gravelly ground:
My father, digging. I look down
Bends low, comes up twenty years away
Bends low, comes up twenty years away
He rooted out tall tops, buried the bright edge deep
He rooted out tall tops, buried the bright edge deep
Loving their cool hardness in our hands.
Loving their cool hardness in our hands.
By God, the old man could handle a spade.
Just like his old man.
By God, the old man could handle a spade.
Just like his old man.
then fell to right away
then fell to right away
Nicking and slicing neatly
Nicking and slicing neatly
The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap
Of soggy peat
The cold smell of potato mould, the squelch and slap
Of soggy peat
But I’ve no spade to follow men like them.
But I’ve no spade to follow men like them.
Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests.
I’ll dig with it.
Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests.
I’ll dig with it.
