Friday 30th April 1943

Polished off the poem, and called it “Avalon.” Entered it in my book, in the “Fantastic Tales” section. It is rather like “No Such Place”, but less quaint, more fantastic and perhaps more poetical, less matter-of-fact. At last I write again, dreaming in verse! For five weeks I have been unable to write, though Heaven knows, I've tried often enough! It is terrible when one tries to write and cannot. Now I feel happy.

Funnily enough, I felt tired-out when I eventually completed “Avalon” So tired that I lay down on my bed and did nothing for an hour or so, afterwards. “Avalon” is composed of five stanzas – a total of 32 lines. It is definitely “escapist” in theme, begins sadly, becomes idyllic, ends bitterly:-

... “But we must never, never have a son;
They would take him away from Avalon.
Even as golden corn, the tenth part tithe,
Flourishes to fall 'neath the mower's scythe,
He would ripen only to go and fight
And die in the next war for man's delight.”