Mona Lisa
A woman of great beauty who has
inspired men to create immortal
prose, poetry, music and art
through the ages; A woman whose
smile promises endless passion.

1. This is a virtual encounter - that does not in any way lessen the impact on you:

This is Michele getting hit by the “thunderbolt” when he sees Apollonia for the first time. It’s not as simple as taking Clemenza’s advice: “Mikey, why don’t you tell her you love-a her with all-a your heart. If I don’t see you soon I’m-a gonna die”.

This is Homer’s immortal Helen that drove peace-loving classical Greeks to bloody civil war - the singularly momentous event in western civilization!

This is running into Bo Derek on the beach, and not hiding behind your shades as the script calls for. You will chase her and you will say and do anything to get to know her that instant, that night.

Every hot-blooded male knows this to be a fact.
But do facts and reality come into play here?

2. Consider those indusputable reasons for man’s existence:

If the great question in life is “Why do we exist?” shouldn’t the answer be “To tell her”? Wouldn’t the great dilemma then become “How to” tell her?

The other key question is how to do it in such way that is both whiny and makes her laugh. “Why whiny?” you may ask - that is an essential requirement as you shall soon see. But
is that even possible? Should I resign myself to the inevitability of failure? Or give it a shot and risk being the Don Quixote to his Dulcinea?

This is therefore an exploration, a discourse on the endless possibilities in declaring amorous passion to the Virtual Mona Lisa.
And that explains it all.

3. She laughs when men whine, therefore I’ll need to get whiny:

That seems to be the way to go.

But what if she then sees you as a total fool? How do you whine at just the right level? Only enough to make her laugh without seeming the clown?

But how does one develop the essential whining technique? Maybe do post-graduate work in 19th century French romantic literature and Goethe? “Every maiden sighs to win man’s love”
But that’s for another time and this is now.

On the other hand, wouldn’t it be better not to sail into uncharted waters?
This is one tough nut to crack - incredibly perplexing and confusing.

4. She likes French whiners: “C’est peut-être pas l’amour, mais l’illusion”

Shall we emulate a great French romantic writer and for the sake of clarity organize my declaration on his tradition?

Just imagine: “How do I love thee, let me count the ways: 1)….2)…….10)….”
Does that sound good? Will she see beauty and emotion in precision?

Or is that a recipe for failure? Consider a recipe for blackberry bellinis: 1) mash fresh berries in a champagne flute, 2) add Chambord, 3) top off with champagne, 4) float a few fresh berries.

I know we have digressed from our exploration of the merits of the French romantic declarative style - but I am certain she will like my blackberry bellini.
And that is most likely the only sure thing in this encounter.

5. The Italian in me tells me she has great passion: “Sei un miracolo”

I instinctively know she is my match in emotion and in loving. But isn’t that a fool’s errand? Do knowing and reality ever match?

When was the last time you were dead certain she was the one, only to trek miles through searing heat to find it was a mirage?
“Ces pauvres chameaux!”

Better to hold the emotions back! Perhaps pretend it’s all in good fun? Or should I run like hell, away from her?

If I ever ran into my virtual Mona Lisa will I be hiding behind dark glasses? Because the stakes will be as high as they can get? Will it be the fear of failure?
But not the fear of the passion?

6. Is it better to control emotions and passion in what I say?

There is a wide cultural schism - not to mention about 3,500 miles of separation. I have known precisely where the cultures differ.

Wouldn’t ignoring her norms and her rules spell disaster to me? But if I hold back and demonstrate self-discipline - an impossible proposition under these ircumstances - wouldn’t that make me a coward? a fake?

I have always looked for total and full expression of feeling and emotion in any setting. Doesn’t that compel me to be open and direct in what I say to her? Why pretend otherwise?

Why not play the game according to the rules, calculating and reacting?
But not with her, not with the Virtual Mona Lisa.

7. I decide to go full speed ahead: “Vieni Via Con Me”

The delirium drives my exuberance in expression.
The compulsion to tell all overwhelms.

“I never hold back” I say, “Man the guns - Fire at will”…..”Its wonderful”
As I jump into the maelstrom, the captain going down with his ship:
“Her dark hair my eternal prison of endless nights lost in passion”

Have I learned to whine a bit better? “D’accord?”
Now you know the Virtual Mona Lisa and her Mona Lisa Smile

Bemused in her beauty, her eyes crush,
Dark eyes burning the soul. It’s a passion stronger then life,
That makes the blood boil.

Her dark hair floating, rising from the waves,
Her eyes a million reflections in every ripple,
Lost in yearning.

No illusions, I have no dreams
Only her beauty shattering my universe, her eyes branding the soul,
Her dark hair my eternal prison of endless nights lost in passion.
Lost in her Mona Lisa smile

Yearning for Affection

A Russian song “Dark Eyes” ends:
“But I am not sad, still alive not dead.
Now my fate is to love you in solitude.
And the best reward in my life, gifted me by God,
Is my love and sacrifice to the burning eyes”

Love is all about giving.

Intellectual treatise and word play that reflects a dislike for the European Bourgoisie and a rejection of emotion, love, beauty and individual creativity and expression - that is Barthes - despite having lived in Japan. It’s a sad commentary that he did not see beauty and feel - inner piece and joy - in seeing and experiencing a Zen garden.

Love is all

Your playing something from Chopin or Rachmaninoff is NOT to demonstrate intellectual and technical proficiency in disecting and analysing the music’s technical merits, how and why the composition and what techniques were used and in delivering a perfect mechanical rendition of the score.

Rather I hear in your playing you becoming one with the music and expressing your emotions and those of the composer - and most importantly, dragging me and all others who hear you play into the music, to also become one with the joy, beauty, love, sadness and despair - in the experience of hearing and seeing you play. That is not a delusion nor an intellectual treatise.

And knowing and experiencing love is the highest human expression and fullfillment, the ultimate human emotion - as individuals, in truly becoming one with another human in all ways; not only in passion but also in giving, caring, sacrificing…..That is the ultimate truth, our reason for being - since our cave-dwelling ancestors and across all cultures - even the bourgoisie that Barthes rejects and dislikes so much knew love and created incredible music, art and literature.

There is love in your playing .

Hopefully I will be able to put it all together soon!

Btw look out for those contractors, they can be sneaky i know.. im one myself