Every house has a devil
that inhabits every level:
from beneath the foundations to the roof.
It knows every lie, every truth,
and observes every sin
that is committed in
the private gloom
of every hidden room.
The house demon knows
where every secret goes.
It smells things rotten
that would rather be forgotten
and sees every skeleton
of a misdeed done
that is shut away
from the light of day
in a cupboard of guilt
for remorse not to be felt.
Brett Dix has a Master’s degree in English literature from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and has taught at the university for approximately nine years.