Learn When all the others were away at mass by Seamus Heaney

When....

When all the others were away at mass

I was...

I was all hers as we peeled potatoes.

They...

They broke the silence,let fall one by one

Like...

Like solder weeping off the soldering iron:

Cold...

Cold comforts set between us,things to share

Gleaming...

Gleaming in a bucket of clean water.

And...

And again let fall. Little pleasant splashes

From..

From each others work would bring us to our senses.

So...

So while the parish priest at her bedside

Went...

Went hammer and tongs at the prayers for the dying

And...

And some were responding and some crying

I remembered...

I remembered her head bent towards my head,

Her...

Her breath in mine, our fluent dipping knives,

Never...

Never closer the whole rest of our lives.

What is the first stanza

When all the others were away at mass I was all hers as we peeled potatoes they broke the silence let fall one by one like solder weeping off the soldering iron cold comforts set between us things to share gleaming in a bucket of clean water and again let fall little pleasant splashes from each others work would bring us to our senses.

Second Stanza

So while the parish priest at her bedside went hammer and tongs at the prayers for the dying and some were responding and some crying I remember her head bent towards my head her breath in mine our fluent dipping knives never closer the whole rest of our lives.