Avalon, Santa Catalina Island
Blanche Trask, Poet-Explorer-Naturalist, did most of her wild nature exploration and writing on the Channel Islands of Southern California. She was a resident of Avalon on Santa Catalina Island in Los Angeles County, California from 1895 to 1915 (20 Years). Her winter home was located next to the Tuna Club in Avalon, but she also had a summer home at the Isthmus where the Institute of Environmental Studies of USC is currently located.
Blanche Trask published MOONLIGHT
AT CATALINA ISLAND in the newspaper of Catalina called CATALINA
ISLANDER and also in WINDLE"S CATALINA HISTORY This poem appears
to be her last and 10th published poem spanning 10 years between 1896 and
1905. The above narrative and the poem was written and compiled by Robert
Roy van de Hoek, in June-July 2000, for educational purposes in recognition
of my two younger sisters, and their birthdays on June 21 (Summer Solstice)
and July 4.
Avalon, Santa Catalina Island
MOONLIGHT AT CATALINA
ISLAND
by
BLANCHE TRASK
Miles and miles of throbbing
ocean
Hardly broken by a swell,
Where the moonlight comes
and lingers
Where my spirit walks as
well
For the Spirit here
loosened
And it treads the silv'ry
miles
And the wet and sparkling
beaches,
Paved with strange, resplendent
tiles.
Seeks the coves as
though it knew them,
Climbs the rocks, as wild
and bold;
And it shouts to sky and
ocean;
"Ah! we meet here, as of
old!"