Digging
Seamus Heaney
Between my finger and my thumb
The squat pen rests; as snug as a gun.
Under my window a clean rasping sound
When the spade sinks into gravelly ground:
My father, digging. I look down
Till his straining rump among the flowerbeds
Bends low, comes up twenty years away
Stooping in rhythm through potato drills
Where he was digging.
The coarse boot nestled on the lug, the shaft
Against the inside knee was levered firmly.
He rooted out tall tops, buried the bright edge deep
To scatter new potatoes that we picked
Loving their cool hardness in our hands.
By God, the old man could handle a spade,
Just like his old man.
My grandfather could cut more turf in a day
Than any other man on Toner's bog.
Once I carried him milk in a bottle
Corked sloppily with paper. He straightened up
To drink it, then fell to right away
Nicking and slicing neatly, heaving sods
Over his shoulder, digging down and down
For the good turf. Digging.
The cold smell of potato mold, the squelch and slap
Of soggy peat, the curt cuts of an edge
Through living roots awaken in my head.
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.
相关单词：squat
squat解释：v.蹲坐，蹲下；n.蹲下；adj.矮胖的，粗矮的
squat例句：
For this exercise you need to get into a squat.在这次练习中你需要蹲下来。
He is a squat man.他是一个矮胖的男人。
相关单词：snug
snug解释：adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房
snug例句：
He showed us into a snug little sitting room.他领我们走进了一间温暖而舒适的小客厅。
She had a small but snug home.她有个小小的但很舒适的家。
相关单词：lug
lug解释：n.柄，突出部，螺帽；(英）耳朵；（俚）笨蛋；vt.拖，拉，用力拖动
lug例句：
Nobody wants to lug around huge suitcases full of clothes.谁都不想拖着个装满衣服的大箱子到处走。
Do I have to lug those suitcases all the way to the station?难道非要我把那些手提箱一直拉到车站去吗？
相关单词：shaft
shaft解释：n.(工具的)柄，杆状物
shaft例句：
He was wounded by a shaft.他被箭击中受伤。
This is the shaft of a steam engine.这是一个蒸汽机主轴。
相关单词：scatter
scatter解释：vt.撒，驱散，散开；散布/播；vi.分散，消散
scatter例句：
You pile everything up and scatter things around.你把东西乱堆乱放。
Small villages scatter at the foot of the mountain.村庄零零落落地散布在山脚下。
相关单词：bog
bog解释：n.沼泽；室...陷入泥淖
bog例句：
We were able to pass him a rope before the bog sucked him under.我们终于得以在沼泽把他吞没前把绳子扔给他。
The path goes across an area of bog.这条小路穿过一片沼泽。
相关单词：corked
corked解释：adj.带木塞气味的，塞着瓶塞的v.用瓶塞塞住( cork的过去式 )
corked例句：
Our army completely surrounded and corked up the enemy stronghold. 我军把敌人的堡垒完全包围并封锁起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
He kept his emotions corked up inside him. 他把感情深藏于内心。 来自《简明英汉词典》
相关单词：sloppily
sloppily解释：adv.马虎地，草率地
sloppily例句：
Do things neatly, not sloppily. 办事要利落，不要拖泥带水。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
Land market after behind-the-scenes plotting concern: how much land can act sloppily? 关注土地市场重重黑幕：有多少土地可以胡来？ 来自互联网
相关单词：neatly
neatly解释：adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地
neatly例句：
Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。
相关单词：squelch
squelch解释：v.压制，镇压；发吧唧声
squelch例句：
The President wants to squelch any perception that the meeting is an attempt to negotiate.总统想要消除任何视本次会议为谈判尝试的看法。
You cannot squelch wanting.你不能压制要求。
相关单词：curt
curt解释：adj.简短的，草率的
curt例句：
He gave me an extremely curt answer.他对我作了极为草率的答复。
He rapped out a series of curt commands.他大声发出了一连串简短的命令。
相关单词：awaken
awaken解释：vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起
awaken例句：
Old people awaken early in the morning.老年人早晨醒得早。
Please awaken me at six.请于六点叫醒我。
