Charles Burchfield, Journals, December 21, 1954

A dream last night 

Invited to a house-party – as we entered it seemed as if one of the men guests was suspected of a plot to kill one of the other guests – He drew from his pocket a dagger and hurled it against a wall where it stuck quivering – As if to say “Now, I have no weapon” We all went into a huge room where there were many beds. We were told to go to bed, and then we would be entertained – we did so, and our host put on his record player a recording of Beethoven’s 2^nd Symphony.

Thru some large ceiling-to-floor window facing south, I behold a wonderful scene – The moon was showing intermittently, firm swiftly moving ragged clouds; in the foreground a large ancient locust with black shaggy trunk; from its branches hang great masses of shell-pink blossoms, swayed by the summer wind, - The play of moonlight on the sweet-pea-like flowers, as it brightened and dimmed, was ravishingly beautiful.

I loathed waking up – As I lay there reveling in the memory of the dream, I thought “If only paradise would be such intensification of the things we love in this world – and what would hepaticas blooming in some dark ravine be like?”

Other dreams (fragments) of the past week –

Wandering in the woods; I started whistling an air from “Spring Mind (1910-1911) – and thought of the autumnal still-life” sketches I made in the Fall of 1911 – and then the whole woods was full of such things – golden red and brown leaves; Jack-in-the-pulpit berries; baneberries etc - 

Another fragment –

Walking down a vast avenue of huge trees with my wife; it was night, and through the irregular openings formed by the tree branches could be seen patches of the star-studded sky. I said – “How anyone viewing such a sight could ever say “There is no God” – and yet, when I was in Art School, I said that very thing.” – “Did you, dear?” replied my wife with an expression of infinite tenderness and understanding in her voice.

Charles E. Burchfield, Journals, December 21, 1954