Layers of Love

by Serena Liebfried

  As far as love is concerned, people usually have more or less the same lyrics (sung differently!), same expectations from their partner: to give them (great) sex, to have money and to allow them absolute freedom. Selfish expectations, if you ask me, but we are humans, after all.

  At first, every would-be lover struggles to find a nice, moral chorus meant to convince the other of the main idea of his courting song [of course, related to the theme of “everlasting love”]. For instance, if someone sings to me popular lines like: “I love you, Serena, because of your looks/ intelligence/ kindness...,” then, I know he may change the volume of his feelings gradually down to: Indifference or up to: Casual. Let's get real! I can't look great and display my qualities every day. [I am a sensitive shrew, actually.]

  This is your pop music, something you listened to so many times, you start to believe in.

  She, finding out he has an affair, slaps him; he refrains from hitting her back.

  She (all in tears): “You are a jerk!”

  He (seeing red): “Go to hell, bitch!”

  She (sobbing): “Oh, oh, I'm so hurt! Oh, stupid in love! Look, I have a tear in my eye, you idiot!”

  (spiteful): “I'll take a selfie: Me and Tears! Everyone will see the jerk you are!”

  (after upload)

  He (comments on this): “LOL, bitch, cry me a river!”

  She (full of regret): “Come on baby, one more time... Hit me baby, one more time.”

  He (sends her a smiling face): “I want you back! I'm trying to figure out just what to do next... Wanna have make up sex?”

  She (excited): “Loosen up my buttons baby, uh, huh!”

  [Serena feat. New Boys, Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, 'N Sync and The Pussycat Dolls]

  No! Loosen up your mind, “love”!

  Do you remember? I've told you, once: “I have no idea why I like you, I don't care how good you are in bed, how much money you earn or how social you are. You are such a surprise to me!” Well, there is a good chance my love for you is real.

  Unlike you, I don't listen to pop so much, it has superficial verses and not even the bridge lyrics are able to deepen the emotional impact. [I don't think you are familiar with this musical “bridge”, it is a structure used to break up the repetitive pattern of the song and keep the listeners attention.... Like I hope I'm doing right now, keeping you inside my bridge, made of brackets.]

  I love my classical music! Its volume is also adjustable, but always incredibly up... up to: Passion or even upper to: Insanity [Warning! At this level, ears start to hurt pretty badly and medical assistance is required.]

  Even if you try to turn my “music” down, it never reaches Indifference, because the person on stage, the character, starts dying and his lament makes the libretto hard to listen to, more than once.

  He (finds out she is about to marry someone else): “Who can restrain my anger in such a moment? Like a wilting rose she stands between life and death. I am overcome, I am moved... I love you, ungrateful woman, I still love you! You have betrayed both Heaven and Love. May God destroy you!” (looks for an exit, reflecting on his life): Forever, my dream of love has vanished! That moment has fled, and I die in desperation. Never before, have I loved LIFE so much!

  [Serena feat. Gaetano Donizetti and Giacomo Puccini]

  How can I make you understand this? The opposite of “love” is not “less love” and “civil friendship”, but “pure hate”!

 

  Serena's Profile

  I work for ArtEventin, an agency that organizes cultural events in Hermannstadt (Sibiu), a city in Transylvania, which has one of the largest German ethnic groups in Romania.

  My city was the European Capital of Culture in 2007. Since then, it has become an important cultural center.

  If you like to visit Hermannstadt, you should start with the Brukenthal Museum, it has an impressive Art Gallery and a great collection of Old Books. There you may find many interesting stories about the city and its history.

  If you are in love, I recommend you and your partner walk on the Bridge of Lies. It is said to have ears and start moaning from time to time. To be more accurate, what you may hear are the sad whispers of some unfaithful women that died on that spot, in medieval times.

  According to the legend, young German men used to take maidens there to swear them everlasting love. After the wedding night, if one found out his bride was not a virgin, he could drag her back and throw her off the bridge. I wish I could tell you this is just another Dracula story, but things like that happened in the past. I'm sure you you've read the news about these horrifying crimes taking place, nowadays, in India and Pakistan, also.

  If you are religious, you may also enjoy taking a walk in the old city center to visit the Roman-Catholic, Orthodox and Evangelic Churches, all three built on the same long street. As I see it, they are the major bricks of the same Christian Church, the three fingers of the hand of God on Earth. I must confess, I support, with all my heart, all ecumenical efforts to reunite Christians, around the world. Working as a cultural event manager gives me an opportunity to promote my religious ideals, also.

  For the past five years, I have been involved in organizing many different events I am proud of:

  Jazz Festival,

  Shakespeare Theatre Festival,

  Opera Benefit Concert,

  Woman of Our Century, Photography Exhibition and so on.

  In my free time, I enjoy writing. I've always dreamed of becoming a writer, a critically acclaimed one. I doubt I have what it takes, courage included!

  It all started back in high school, when I won a national poetry contest that gave me wings. I studied literature and hoped to become a French literature teacher. Financial crisis changed everything for me and I had to take a job at an Educational Center in Bucharest. At that time, I had many ups and downs, more downs than ups with my writings. I even hated myself for having artistic craves, but I've managed to come to terms with myself. At the moment, I don't take myself seriously as a writer. I just write when I'm upset. However, I consider myself very lucky to have found a great job, in a truly amazing city, meet true Artists and help them become popular.

  I invite you to visit me! You will be excited by Hermannstadt's amazing attractions!

  Liles: 123 likes, 1 comment

  Judy: What kind of poetry do you write? I love Romantic literature.

  MyTimeline

  What' on your mind?

  Serena is looking for inspiration

  This September, I hope to organize a sacred music concert with Veslav Sobieski (tagged). I heard his choral piece, Rauda (Lament), that speaks about finding God through pain and I really like it. It is so inspiring! I imagine it being played in Holy Trinity Cathedral in Latin. Why not? Is anyone else interested in my idea?

  Likes: Mikael Liebfried and 49 others

  Write a comment

  Mikael: Hi Serena, Thanks for accepting me. Appreciate it. You have a great wall of posts and projects.

  Comment

  Mikael: Organize a jazz concert in your Church! Have you thought about it? Tramps will die to get there! Ha-ha, some like it hot! If you know what I mean!

  Serena: No, I don't.

  Mikael: No, of course, you don't. It is an old movie. Just making fun of you! I see you are dedicated to your work. Did it give any satisfaction so for? Your musical activity, I mean...

  Serena: Yes.

  Mikael: I see... Well, I am a bit disappointed. I'll make you enjoy working for me... much more! By the way, I can't stand jazz...This is what I like best:

  Mikael is listening to - The X Factor USA 2012 - Jeffery Gutt's audition- Hallelujah

  Serena: A rock cover of a jazz song! Listen to this, too, it has more feelings.

  Serena shares G.E.M Hallelujah, with lyrics on Mikael's Timeline.

  Mikael: Come on! She's faking it! She starts crying and the camera moves on the crowd! Good timing for an outdoor performance! You do realize
the artist has a stage director that tells him what to do and how to do it! Ok, she has a nice voice, but I stick to my version, more authentic, Simon said it

  *

  Serena Maier is watching Hazard of Hearts.

  I am a big fan of Edward Fox (Lord Harry Wrotham in this movie). He is my favorite blonde, blue-eyed villain. Why do women love villains? Because the hero is too busy thinking about himself! This is a joke, of course!

  Likes: 54.

  Mikael commented on this.

  Serena deleted the comment.

  My Favorites

  Serena created the e-book “Love and Layers”.

  Untouchable

  (Day 1)

  Frau Pomona is my untouchable mate,

  frowning a lot at me, criticize me all the time,

  for dressing the noun “Fried”

  with the adjective “lieb”...

  for editorial purposes...why should I bother to explain?

  (Day 2)

  “Liebfried” is not a German word,

  It is a German refugee,

  Harassing with me in the street, like a freak,

  „Let’s throw the bricks at her windows,” he yells,

  As he jumps over her fence.

  and politely ignores you, liebe narrow Berlin!

  (...)

  “Hallo, I am on my way... Ja wohl!... heavy traffic in Alexander Platz,

  I see Police... near emergency shelter...

  guess someone reported an assault.

  Relax, I have everything you want with me.”

  5 likes, 2 comments.

  Serena deleted all comments.

  Censured

  If there are no more noble things

  to be discovered in this muddy world,

  holding my lover in my arms means

  I will fail.

  But then, the story will unfold

  without the outcome of some other's quest.

  ”Wie es so trifft...”, as you would say.

  No answers given.

  No comments on the Truth god's loss...

  Just the sour sound of others throwing stones

  To break a heart and stain my fate with darkness

  But getting once away with this,

  And getting once accept myself,

  Let them ride unicorns to search for an insect!

  2 likes, 23 comments.

  Serena deleted all comments.

  Hopeless (edited)

  Twisted hours of love

  Spinning around

  In my brain

  Like a ring

  The ghost of Fear is challenging me from behind

  Hailing me to stop from running in circles

  Should I listen and play the fate of a loser,

  Punished eternally to bear a pointless life?

  Should I use words as jugs of compassion

  To carry my son and my chore to come?

  .......................................................................................

  Let me use your own words to reply:

  “Think of the consequences, I beg you! “

  Your reason for leaving just doesn't hold water.

  19 likes, 3 comments.

  Stefan Pop: You should write more!

  Serena deleted 2 comments.

  ***

  Serena Maier is looking for inspiration, studying mythology.

  The god of Truth, Apollo had many love stories. An interesting one is his crush on Hyacinth, a beautiful youth man also loved by Zephyr, the god of the West Wind. One day, Apollo and Hyacinth competed against each other in throwing the discus, a heavy large disk used in athletic competitions.

  Jealous, Zephyr blew Apollo's discus off the course and killed Hyacinth. Full of grief, Apollo made a flower from his blood, an iris. Well, haven't I told this story before? He was passionately in loved with a girl (Daphe) and managed to ruin her life, also.

  So, this Apollo loves everyone! Not my problem! We are not related!

  Why do people with high moral standards get to be so judgmental about it?

  Why search for the bug in another soul [Programmer's joke! I should have written “insect”!], if you have already found and master your own unicorn? [Another Programmer's joke! Sorry! Can't help it! Unicorn is a programming language designed by an American] Have you found It? Are you the master of Purity? [ No joke, here! This is a serious question] Aha! Are you absolutely sure it is not your frustration speaking beneath your pious voice?

  I mean, since, an unicorn has magical powers (a fairytale creature, bla-bla-bla), the result is:

  procedure main ()

  w : = open (''test UNICORN window'', ''g'')

  write ( w ''Have no right to judge love'')

  write ( w ''Any Key will close this window'')

  read (w)

  close (w)

  end!

  *

  The god of Season, Vertumnus fell in love with Pomona, the goddess of Fruit. She was a very stubborn maiden, she wanted to remain a virgin all her life, so she had refused all men and all gods that tried to court her before him. Determined to win her, Vertumnus disguised himself as an old woman. Then, he started preaching her about a (hypothetical) young man that was about to commit suicide for being spurned. Having this woman disguise, Vertumnus managed to kiss her, but Pomona did not change her mind about men, no matter how great his story was. She was still determined about it, she wouldn't make love to any.

  In the end, desperate Vertumnus showed himself naked in front of her, declaring his feelings, telling her the truth. Surprisingly, Pomona fell for him (Ha?! So! She was not a lesbian! Shame on you to think that far!) and they became a couple.(Yee!)

  Of course, showing confidence in yourself always pays off.

  You know, in a way, writing about yourself is like taking your cloths off in public, while denuding the reader, at the same time.

  For what comes next, between Pomona (the Reader) and Vertumnus (the Author), you should be 18 and up. Use your imagination! Ok. I know you're getting some naughty images in your mind right now (Uh! Aaaah! Uh!).

  This is all you can! I know you can do better! Spice it a little bit! Shall I use some more brackets?

  *

  Wow! I am exhausted... You made me feel tired...It was great being with you, but my time is up. It's getting late! I should get going and you should go to sleep. Here is your story, love! Your very last!

  Hypermnestra was the daughter of King Danaus. He did not want his girls to get married to the sons of his rival, from another kingdom (xenophobic thinking, I know!), so he instructed them to kill their husbands on their wedding day. [You may wonder how they even got to that wedding day, but I'm a bit in a hurry to explain that.]

  So, they all followed his command, all except Hypermnestra. She refused to obey because her man, Lynceus had some honor. Danaus tried to punish his disobedient daughter, but her husband rescued her and revenged his family by killing him. They then got together had a son.

  Have a glorious life!

  Serena's Collection, New aphonic memories

  Serena Maier to Kai Vulcan

  A Happy New Year! Hope all your dreams come true!

  Serena

  Kai Vulcan to Serena Maier

  Hello! With me everything is fine. I've signed with a record company for our song. Therefore, the coming year will be very exciting, I'll start touring Germany. I still do not really know when and where. What are you doing right now? Are you still working as an event manager?

  K.

  Serena Maier to Kai Vulcan

  Hallo! It is great news, a very important achievement for your career; hope you become famous one day. Yes, I am still working at the same office.

  Serena

  Kai Vulcan to Serena Maier

  If I remember correctly tomorrow is the big day! I wish you all the best for all the years to come. And for tomorrow, I hope the sun will shine on you!

  Big hug,

  P.S.: And then I wan
t know who the happy guy is!

  K.

  Serena Maier to Kai Vulcan

  Thank you for the greetings! It was a nice surprise!

  Yes, I am happily married and got back from the honeymoon to the mountains... It was very nice, as I wished... My husband is a photographer. Don't let the name fool you, he's not German.

  I hope you are fine and doing great. All my best wishes for you, dear friend!

  Look forward to hearing from you!

  Serena

  Kai Vulcan to Serena Liefbried

  Dear Serena!

  I must admit for a moment I was a bit startled by the second name. But then it dawned upon me...

  Hugs,

  K.

  Kai Vulcan to Serena Liefbried

  Dear Serena!

  I am having a concert in Italy, next month. Hope you are doing great!

  K.

  Serena Liebried to Kai Vulcan

  Hallo! It's great news, a very important achievement for your career. I hope you become famous one day! Yes, I have a son now and I'm very happy, I have always wanted kids.

  Well, whatever you want to do in your life, do not neglect having a family and children. No professional achievement can measure this. At the end of all careers, no matter how great, there is only one thing waiting for us: an empty grave. I am telling you this as a friend, because I want you to be very happy.

  Look forward to hearing from you,

  Best regards from Hermannstadt,

  Serena

  Kai Vulcan to Serena Liebfried

  Hi, Serena thanks for your message. I hope you spent a lovely holiday with your family. I had been last week in Berlin with my niece.

  I'll start my European tour in May. Then, back to Rome. The longer I'm staying there, the more I get to like it. Still, I guess by the end of the year, I'll head for a new destination. Not sure yet what and where.

  How are you these days? From the things you post, I get the impression you have many projects in mind! Good for you!

  For the moment, I am sending some warm greetings!

  Hugs,

  K.

  Serena Liebfried to Kai Vulcan

  Hi! I spent holiday at home, with family, playing with my son, which was fun. I saw your niece in a picture, she is sweet! I am doing great, I am a writer now! Yes, I got the courage to come out!

  I wish you the best of luck in finding the right destination. I know you can adapt to your public anywhere. Even more, you can always go back to places you like; you will always have a true friend here Hermannstadt, one who wants you to be happy and smiling.