
FIRES OF DRIFTWOOD - BY ISABEL ECCLESTONE MACKAY - WITH DECORATIONS BY J.E.H. MACDONALD A.R.C.A.
Fires of Driftwood
When as a Lad
Laureate
Out of Babylon
Last Spring
Presence
In an Autumn Garden
Rose Dolores
A Pilgrim
A luminous tapestry of verse, this collection invites listeners into a world where fire, sea, and sky become metaphors for desire, loss, and the restless pursuit of meaning. The opening poems drift from the crackling flames fed by driftwood to the quiet yearning of a child chasing a vanished star, each image rendered with a keen, almost tactile sense of place. Themes of exile and longing echo through reflections on Babylon and Jerusalem, while the seasons turn in tender observations of spring’s hesitant arrival and autumn’s fragrant, ghost‑laden gardens.
Interwoven with delicate musings on death’s gentle hand and the elusive presence of memory, the poems balance melancholy with moments of quiet hope. The speaker’s voice moves from the raw edge of grief to the soft glow of renewal, offering listeners a contemplative journey that feels both intimate and universal. In its lyrical cadence, the work celebrates the fragile beauty of fleeting moments, encouraging a reflective pause amid life’s ever‑shifting tides.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (76K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Andrew Sly. Thanks to A Celebration of Women Writers for providing the source text.
Release date
2004-05-01
Rights
Public domain in the USA.
Subjects

1875–1928
A prolific Canadian writer of poems, novels, plays, and journalism, she helped shape the country’s literary life in the early 20th century. Her work ranges from lyrical verse to fiction and children’s writing, with a warmth and energy that kept readers returning.
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