Kate Collins wrote a poem as a tribute to her aunt and uncle who lost their beautiful family home in the Knysna fire. A tribute written to bring them some comfort and hopefully to others who have also suffered great loss from the fires.
Knysna, 2017.
Home, what are you?
You are the roof over our heads
The bed under our tired bodies
The blanket that keeps us warm
Home, you are the garden that we play in
The vegetables that we eat
Lunches on the patio
the music in the street
You are the greeting, a bark, a meow
The couch we rest our feet on
And people that we meet
You’re the memories of laughter
Of sadness and anger too
The entertainment of a boxset
of new beginnings
Of hope and dreams come true
Home, you are the key to Doors and pathways
The crackling fireplace
The warm water that showers us
And light that lets us read
Home, you’re the door and driveway
That keep us safe,
A curtain of escape
We wake in your walls and fall asleep here too
We fill you up with objects and with people too
Family, partners, children, animals,
everything we collect.
When the fire came to ravage you. It took all of you. The roof, the floor, the kitchen sink.
The laughter.
It took all of you
Home, you may be gone
But the laughter will return and
The hearts that knew these walls
will
bind together,
stronger,
than
Before.
by 