Charles E. Burchfield's Dreams, Journals, September 17, 1941

But I think now that longing and nostalgia whether conscious or in subconscious, plays some part in the direction dreams take; as witness two dreams I had last night –

I had been called to the army; it was evening, and I was in a barracks.  My bed was at the east end, to the left of a door.

Paul Travis and a stranger were with me, and we were preparing for the night.  Travis’s bunk was to the right of the door; between each bunk were curtains, creating the effect of stalls.

Travis and the other man decided they were going to play a trick on me, and mess up my bed, and started in to do so, taking my pillow away and putting things under the mattress. Furious for I was dog-tired and wanted to go to bed, I started in on Travis’s bed & belongings, hurling his pillow out the door, and books and letters to the far end of the barracks.  When Travis realized I was not joking, he stopped, straightened out my bunk, and then asking me if I forgave him now, lay down on his bunk and began to weep bitterly.  Relenting, I went over and put my arm around him & tried to show him I was no longer angry.

I got up then, and went to the door-way, and stepped out completely from the barracks dream.  I was in a spacious park, which was in the center of the village.  Some civic celebration was in progress; there were booths as at a church fair, gaily lit up and decorated. Many people, well-dressed and happy, were wandering about, among them I and my family.  A calm happy spirit seemed to be over all.  In the east, a full moon high in the sky flooded the earth with such a radiant light that it seemed almost as bright as day.  There seemed to be a supernatural quality to the moonlight, as it seemed to permeate the whole scene; to be glowing under the trees, as well as their tops.  I was completely happy.

The second dream commenced with my receiving a letter from Sibelius – written in a script that was unlike any I ever saw, but which I took to be Finnish.  He had seen in an exhibition the picture of mine, “Night Wind” and as he was visiting in America, he wanted to see more.

(Inconsistently, I could not read his letter, but knew what it contained!) I was happy over his interest. Then strangely enough, I knew in my dream that all this was but wishful thinking born of my intense interest and admiration for Sibelius. Then I revived in my mind, the pictures of the 1917-18 period, and regretted that I no longer seemed so close to nature.  I then found myself out in the country, standing on the edge of a great field of dry grass beyond which was another field of dried corn, and in the distance, to the dim northeast east low dark woods.  A strange light came from the south-west.  It seemed very beautiful, and I stood filled with longing and regret for what I thought was a better season in my life.

Charles E. Burchfield, September 17, 1941