Charlene Long - Pathway to Memories

Thinking of my Mom and our shared memories led me to rediscover the poems of Canadian poet Pauline Johnson. Rereading her poems inspired me to create a series based on her works. Each painting was inspired by a specific passage from one of her poems or legends.

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Through the far cool distance	Where the very silence slumbers	I dream tonight	Northern Skies Alive with Flames

At Sunset	And the wailing pine trees murmur with their voice attuned to hers	The seaweeds cling with flesh-like fingers. The rocks get shelter that the sands deny	August is laughing across the sky

With pools of purple colouring the skies	Beneath me far Where not a ripple moves to mar	The pools low lying, dank with mould. Glint through their mildews like large caps of gold	There are fires on Lulu Island and the sky is opalescent

As cloud and colour blend at set of sun	The scent of burning leaves, the campfire blaze		What saw you on your flight today Crows, awinging your homeward way

Reflections from the gold and glowing light	To Salish waves that fling their spray	The rocks beneath your feet	Great has been the run

So gently creeps the morning through the heavy air	Uncertain clouds, half-high, suspend	Let me but feel the pulse of nature’s soul	And when at eventide the sun

Tonight the west o’er brims with warmest dyes	Sounds of the days of summer Murmur and die away	Alone, alone with God’s glory earth that seems	In forest arms the night will soonest creep

Where the waterfalls and forest voice forever their duet	Where the river mists are rising	And call across the fading silver night As something calls to me	The far, far Trees that cover The brownish hills with needles green and gold

The sun outbreaking in his farewell hour		Where the rushes lift