Charles E. Burchfield (1893-1967)

42. feeling of spring.

     P.M. To Buffalo to bank + market –

     Letters to Damrosch + Frank R.[i]

                   Mar. 11, (Wed.)

     A mild day – Partly cloudy, with the sun breaking thru.

     A.M.  gathering lists of my unsold paintings from John Straus.

     P.M.  Walk out North + out West Clinton to bridge. I feel good and enjoy walking, and everything looks paintable. Thick masses of dark cloud gathering in the west.

     By late afternoon the whole sky is thickly overcast and rain is falling.

     Play the Dvorak Symphony #2. It’s subtle beauties are revealed more + more with each hearing –

     Evening – to church – the rain coming down in great quantities even the drops seem larger than usual.[ii]

                   Mar. 13 (Fri.)

A dream –

     Lying in bed in my childhood room at Salem – It’s about 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning. The door opens and in steps a young man in a sailors uniform – He seems to be a friend of mine (tho no one I actually know) and I call him Bill.

     I – What are you doing here? How did you get leave at a time like this.

     He – Sh – I went A.W.O.L. – I simply had to see my girl.”

But it seems as if we two are the only ones left in the town. When I tell him this, he says he must get back to his ship.