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Personal Helicon Lyrics by Seamus Heaney

The Northern Muse

0

for Michael Longley
As a child, they could not keep me from wells
And old pumps with buckets and windlasses.
I loved the dark drop, the trapped sky, the smells
Of waterweed, fungus and dank moss.
One, in a brickyard, with a rotted board top.
I savoured the rich crash when a bucket
Plummeted down at the end of a rope.
So deep you saw no reflection in it.
A shallow one under a dry stone ditch
Fructified like any aquarium.
When you dragged out long roots from the soft mulch
A white face hovered over the bottom.
Others had echoes, gave back your own call
With a clean new music in it. And one
Was scaresome, for there, out of ferns and tall
Foxgloves, a rat slapped across my reflection.
Now, to pry into roots, to finger slime,
To stare, big-eyed Narcissus, into some spring
Is beneath all adult dignity. I rhyme
To see myself, to set the darkness echoing.
Credits
Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney

About “Personal Helicon” by Seamus Heaney

Read the complete lyrics to "Personal Helicon" by Seamus Heaney from the album "The Northern Muse". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Non-Music, Literature.

"Personal Helicon" is performed by Seamus Heaney. from the album "The Northern Muse" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Personal Helicon", explore more songs by Seamus Heaney using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Personal Helicon" is credited to Seamus Heaney. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Personal Helicon" appears on "The Northern Muse".

Visit the Seamus Heaney artist page at /artist/seamus-heaney for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.