Life-and-Destruction                                                            Page 17

LIFE-AND-DESTRUCTION

From the broken bone of the hill

stripped and left for dead,

like a wrecked skull,

leaps out this bush of blood.

Out of the torn earth's mouth

comes the old cry of praise.

Still is the song made flesh

though the singer dies -

flesh of the world's delight,

voice of the world's desire,

I drink you with my sight

and I am filled with fire.

Out of the very wound

springs up this scarlet breath -

this fountain of hot joy,

this living ghost of death. ("Flame-Tree In A Quarry" C.P. p.60)

Life and destruction are often explored together in the poetry of Judith Wright,

as, for example, in "Flame-Tree In A Quarry", or in 'Dry Storm" (C.P. p. 190),

"A Child's Nightmare" (C.P. p.191), "Destruction" (C.P. p.217) and "Snakeskin

On A Gate" (C.P. p.243).

"Flame-Tree In A Quarry" views a stretch of land that has been excavated,

blasted and plundered. What is left is a wound on the face of the earth, a deep

gash reaching to bone that has been broken, "stripped and left for dead " The

image of the decked skull" presents a land whose distinctive features are

completely destroyed.