Page 50 of Priceless
But she sang to the wind till he answered again.
Oh Simon, oh Simon, come walkin’wi’ me,
From the land o’ the hush to the roots o’ the tree.
If love can awaken what death has undone,
Then rise, bonnie ghost, wi’ the touch o’ the sun.
A ghost love story?Must be a Scottish thing, I thought. And I was totally up for it, having recently become a fan of them on that long plane ride.
She danced ‘round the fire,she laughed through her tears,
The ghost shook his head, he’d been dreading for years
The moment his wee witch would make him obey.
For he knew too well the price she would pay.
Oh Simon, oh Simon, come walkin’wi’ me,
From the land o’ the hush to the shores of the sea.
If love can awaken what death has undone,
Then rise, my true love, wi’ the touch o’ the sun.
With her handtapping on her thigh, the woman leaned sideways against the man who had relieved her of her drink. He smiled and kissed the top of her head before she started singing again.
She’d waited forever,
her hope never died,
No grave could contain
what her heart was denied.
He answered her call
though it tore him apart,
And was glad of her kiss…as it shattered his heart.
Oh Simon,oh Simon, the night's never long,
When the dead learn the steps to a living girl’s song.
If love can awaken what death has undone,
We’ll dance, bonnie ghost, when the rising is done.
The crowd must have beenfamiliar with the song because they erupted with applause while I was still hoping for another verse.
Jacob started clapping too. Just a little slower, still worried about something. Maybe it had nothing to do with the song after all.
When the applause ended, the noise picked up again like someone had un-paused a TV, as if the bar patrons resumed their conversations mid-sentence. People laughed here and there, shouted, then laughed again. Men and women alike, all ages, all stripes, carried on like they were at home with fifty friends. And I realized that Jocko’s Public House was a very happy place.
No wonder he stays here instead of a big empty house.
