1
We have woken from the nightmare.
His death has brought a new day,
but grief is stubbornly lodged
in our hearts
like a stone in the sole of a shoe.
2
Somehow we managed to survive
the winter of our lives.
He lives in our memories
and haunts our dreams.
A new tree is growing
from the roots of our grief.
Brett Dix has a Master’s degree in English literature from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and lectures English literature and poetry at the university. He is currently working on his first collection of poems. In 2013 his father, a well-known Pietermaritzburg artist, died after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. His father’s disease and death have deeply influenced his poetry.