Author's Note: This was my first (and maybe last) attempt at a songfic. It was not easy. But the image was there, and I had to do something with it. The song is "For Emily, Whenever I May Find Her" by Simon & Garfunkel.
Disclaimer: I do not own James or Jessie. The owners know who they are. The song belongs to Paul Simon, BMI, and maybe Columbia Records.
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Whenever ...
by Vickie211
A log shifted, sending a small shower of sparks up the chimney. James watched the flames leap and dance as if making a celebratory offering to some unknown deity. The flickering revelry had a soothing, hypnotic effect that freed his mind, and sent his thoughts drifting here and there, only to circle back and settle with a comfortable contentment on the woman dozing beside him.
What a dream I had:
Pressed in organdy,
Clothed in crinoline of smoky Burgundy;
Softer than the rain.
Jessie. He studied the contour of her face in the firelight, while he could do so without her awareness. She was, without a doubt, the loveliest woman he had ever seen. In sleep, her countenance softened to reflect the gentleness he knew was in her heart. She was his entire existence. A life without her would be bare and empty, a monotonous drudgery without meaning or reason. Time endured, waiting merely for the end, and hoping for another chance.
I wandered empty streets
Down past the shop displays.
I heard cathedral bells
Tripping down the alley ways,
As I walked on.
James' waking hours, as well as his dreams, were suffused with images of Jessie. Often he envisioned her standing by the river in a delicate, flowing gown, with the wind in her hair and the moonlight shining on her face. Sometimes he pictured the two of them relaxing in a downtown park on a blanket by a lake, his head in her lap, while she gently combed her fingers through his hair. But the image he treasured the most was simply her hand in his, while her eyes told him of her love.
And when you ran to me
Your cheeks flushed with the night.
We walked on frosted fields of
juniper and lamplight.
I held your hand.
She stirred in her sleep and nuzzled under his chin. He tightened his arms around her and tucked in the quilt which was wrapped around them both. The fire was dying now, and the floor was becoming cold and uncomfortable. He pressed his lips to her hair, breathing in the sweet fragrance that was uniquely Jessie.
And when I awoke
and felt you warm and near,
I kissed your honey hair
with my grateful tears.
He took her hand and softly kissed her palm. She opened her eyes and looked up at him with a sleepy, inviting smile.
Oh, I love you, girl.
Oh, I love you.
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