Wednesday, April 21, 2010

For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her



What a dream I had
pressed in organdy
clothed in crinoline
of smoky burgundy
softer than the rain
--Simon & Garfunkel, For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her*


She turned the blossom in her fingers. The petals, so soft.

She thought about the old child's poem.

Loves me.

Love me not.

Loves me.

But she tucked the flower back on the branch un-plucked. No one could tell it had been picked. At least not until it withered.

She was unsettled by her dreams. The ones that left her soaked in the experience. Dreams are not so different from memories, she thought. Not when you look back on them. Not how you feel when you remember. But she knew that if dreams are one thing more than any other, they are unfair.

The blossom mixed in with the others as she stepped back. Even she didn't know the difference.

They fluttered in the breeze as she left the tree behind.


(*For me, one of the most beautiful songs, ever.)

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15 comments:

Ashley Ashbee said...

"no one could tell it had been picked. At least not until it withered." -- I really like this line. Thanks for sharing this beautiful song, Jason! And it seems you've posted this at night... Cheers to you, fellow night owl! "Clarity of Night" indeed.

Raj said...

:)
loves me.
loves me not.
lol.

it still works!!

JaneyV said...

Jason - Wow! I adore For Emily, Wherever I May Find Her. It's my absolute favourite for the S&G songbook (which is saying something - Paul Simon is a god). I had no idea it was even on the radar for a single other person on the planet. What a treat to hear it again (my old vinyl copy has long since disappeared)

And a truly evocative piece of writing. I was suddenly a romantic teen again with all the passions and poetry of the time making my heart beat just a little faster. Thank you!

Karen said...

One of my favorites, too, and your piece captures that complete loss of self that accompanies youth and romanticism. You do a an outstanding job with point of view.

DILLIGAF said...

Personally I prefer Garfunkel's 'Bright Eyes'

'Watership Down' made me cry - don't tell anyone....street cred you know...

Oddyoddyo13 said...

This is so beautiful and lonely. Heartbreaking.

Laurel said...

Four Dinners: Me, TOO! Oh, I feel so much more at peace with my inner maudlin now.

Blogger ate my earlier comment but I LOVE For Emily. One of my favorites of all time. I also really liked the image of the blossom: delicate, broken, doomed to fade.

Terri said...

The song conjures up memories of my childhood; my father loved Simon & Garfunkel. What a treat to see this old clip of a beautiful song.
And what an accurate way of describing those dreams. The confusion between dream and memory, and the feelings that linger into wakefulness.

This is a lovely moment.

Tabitha Bird said...

Beautiful, I agree :)

Anonymous said...

LH, yes, I'm very much a night owl. :) If I had my choice, I would go to bed sometime after 2 and wake up after 10. That's what I did as a teenager, and the desire hasn't changed at 40.

Raj, you can always divide a petal in half if you need a different answer.

JaneyV, so it's also a special song for you! Very cool. It's like a club. ;) Thanks for the kind words about the vignette. There's quite a bit of weight on those words.

Karen, dreams can be difficult to shake. They carry our precious things. They protect us from our fears. But the question is, do they really make us happy? Dreams don't translate into reality very well, and perhaps we destroy what could be a wonderful reality by slipping back into the dreams.

Four Dinners, I have to go check out that song. The title isn't ringing a bell. Maybe when I hear it....

Oddyoddyo13, yes, heartbreaking is an excellent word for it.

Laurel, another member of the club along with JaneyV! Thanks for giving the comment another go. :)

Terri, I have a sense that the confusion is really a desire to go back to the dream. But it never seems to be enough.

Tabitha, thanks!

SzélsőFa said...

i liked the last three sentences the most. great vignette. for me it's sad and is about changes and about things that never change. sad.

Unknown said...

There's heart break, poignancy, longing to undo what has been done, soaked in memories that she wished were only dream. Loved it.

Dottie :)

Anonymous said...

Szelsofa, changes and things that never change...that really sums it up. Excellent.

Dottie, wow. Again, I can really sense the spirit in your words.

Gilson said...

Emotion filled and touching.

Anonymous said...

Gilson, thank for visiting and sharing it!