Charles E. Burchfield's Dreams, Journals, December 16-17, 1945

A dream

Going next door (to Bengert’s) clad only in my underwear. What my errand was I do not remember, but I was hoping to sneak past their house without being discovered. But Mrs. B came to the back door just as I came opposite it, and said with a rising inflection in her voice “Ye-es?” I said, “I was wondering if I could buy some of your tomatoes. I’ll pick them myself.” “Oh you can have all you want for nothing,” she replied. “I feel awfully silly in my underwear,” I said, “I hope no one sees me.” Mr. Bengert had come now and said, “Yes, you do look rather queer.” I turned & went towards their back lot.

It seemed like a narrow channel of some sort – it was filled with a mixture of black muck and water, of the consistency of thick pea-soup. As I started wading in it, rain commenced to fall, and thick heavy rain clouds seemed to sag almost to the ground. Just as I reached a point opposite my studio, I awoke.

Charles E. Burchfield, December 16-17, 1945