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Moving South Lyrics by Judith Wright

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“It will be cold where you are going.”
Yes.
Working today in this subtropical green
summer extravagance,
cutting back fleshy stems,
smelling steam-scented gardenias
I think of winter.
Last night a chained dog howled
in the heat of the full moon,
the old house rustled
like constantly turning pages.
But far off southward
a stony ridge lay waiting
for me to know it. I move
closer towards the pole.
Wind off the mountain snow,
small white-etched trees
leaning in leeward gestures.
I shall step carefully into the acid vapour
of morning frost. At night
I shall light fires.
Doesn’t summer
half know itself a cheat, conjuring
all this green foliage
to hide the rocks, the earth
then waits to take it back?
Beauté de diable
its enchanting flesh
already beginning to droop like an old breast
on ribs of bone.
I’m tired now, summers,
of cutting you back to size.
Where I’m going you will be more succinct;
just time for a hurried embroidery
of bud, leaf, flower, seed
before the snow-winds snip you
to a root’s endurance.
I may be more at home
observing your quick passages,
stacking up wood
against the length of winter.
Credits
Judith Wright

Judith Wright

About “Moving South” by Judith Wright

Read the complete lyrics to "Moving South" by Judith Wright. 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.

"Moving South" is performed by Judith Wright. 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 "Moving South", explore more songs by Judith Wright 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

"Moving South" is credited to Judith Wright. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

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Visit the Judith Wright artist page at /artist/judith-wright for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.