Published in Overland Issue 257 Summer 2024 · Poetry Autumn fires Judith Wright Old flower-stems turn to sticks in autumn, clutter the garden, need the discipline of secateurs. Choked overplus, straggle of weed, cold souring strangling webs of root, I pile the barrow with the lot. Snapped twig that forgets flower and fruit, thornbranch too hard to rot, I stack you high for a last rite. When twigs are built and match is set, your death springs up like life; its flare crowns and consumes the ended year. Corruption changes to desire that sears the pure and wavering air, and death goes skyward, like a prayer. First published in Overland 15—1959 Judith Wright Judith Wright was born in Armidale, New South Wales. She was an Australian poet, environmentalist and campaigner for Aboriginal land rights. Wright was the author of many collections of poetry, including The Moving Image, Woman to Man, The Gateway, The Two Fires, Birds, The Other Half, Magpies, Shadow and Hunting Snake. She was a recipient of the Christopher Brennan Award and nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1964, 1965 and 1967. More by Judith Wright › Overland is a not-for-profit magazine with a proud history of supporting writers, and publishing ideas and voices often excluded from other places. If you like this piece, or support Overland’s work in general, please subscribe or donate. Related articles & Essays 5 November 2025 · Poetry Force posture agreement Miroslav Sandev The men of Darwin have all taken their rottweilers / out for a walk at the same time. / For our protection. Like Pine Gap: / all those big white eyes that scan / the darkening horizon. / The eyes stay woke, so that we may sleep. / Or so they say. 1 22 August 202522 August 2025 · Poetry starmight K.A Ren Wyld Ending genocide and apartheid is the story. Palestinian liberation is the story. / Aboriginal rights is the story. Truth, justice, treaties and land back is the story. / Global Indigenous peoples’ solidarity and joy is the story. Kinship is the story.
