iNTRODUCING A BOOK OF SONGS
Monday, June 22, 2015
Joyful Happy Sounds!
6/21/2015
Happy Father's Day, Everyone!
Even if you are not a father, well Happy Father's Day to you anyway! Hey, we all have fathers - and a father is nothing more than the same as his own daughter or son. So, in that light, we are all fathers - or mothers or sisters or brothers. Right?
My own Earthly father last time around in his last incarceration - I mean, incarnation - has been gone since July 7th, 1966; but not much has changed since he left us. If Dad were still here, I suspect he would be pretty much the same as he was when he was here in his last incarceration - I mean, incarnation. We all go on when we die; and so, as I see it, Dad has just "gone on" - to continue being what he was in his last incarceration - I mean, incarnation.
If you are wondering why I am referring to our being "incarcerated" by life and not inside it by "incarnation," well, it is intentional. I think too many people think of themselves as being "incarcerated" within life and that the whole purpose of life is live to be free of it. I mean, that is how foolish I think so many of us humans are. We think life is an "incarceration" - not an "incarnation." Who knows? Maybe the switch in words is intentional by all of those who believe they are in jail in life and can't wait to be freed by way of death.
Think about it! How many of you think of death as being some passage way to some other more wonderful life someplace else? How many of you think that when you die, you are going to "go home to Jesus" - or the like? If that is the case, if you feel like you are not at home in this life, then I guess you would see life as an "incarceration" and not an "incarnation." Suppose?
It is a good question, I think. Are you "incarcerated" by life - or are you in a wonderful "incarnation"? Are you one who wakes up in the morning and says - Oh, Woe is me! Or do you wake up in the morning and find whoever is greeting you in that wide mirror in front of you as equal to the most wonderful thing on this Earth? Do you tell that image in the mirror - Hello, You Wonderful Thing, You! Or do you say to that fellow or fella in the mirror - Get Lost! Who in the hell are you? Get out of my way!
I am always kidding with my Dear Friend, Nancy, about that same thing - and it always makes me chuckle - even if it is at myself. Standing there next to Nancy, as we are both in front of her bathroom mirror, I will nod and wave at that fellow and his girl friend looking back at us - and say, Hey, Don't I know you? You sure do look familiar!
Then I put on my clothes and wave again at a somewhat different looking individual - who was naked just a few moments before - and I tell him - Have a Good Day! And then I smile, point my finger at that fellow who has been "incarnated" for sometime now and off I go.
And, you know, for as long as I can remember, it has never been any different for me. I have always been amazed at the boy or the man looking back at me in a mirror. I really have not changed at all in this life, though I think life around me has changed some. I have always been a "son of incarnation" and not an "inmate of incarceration" - though so many around me have acted like they would rather be someone else or someplace else.
For me, life has been a true joy - but I think that is because I have always delighted in the idea of "incarnation" - of my soul being at home in my body and using that body to wave at the soul inside of me as well as all the bodies I might see along the way in a day. It really is a matter of perception. Do you belong here - or do you not? And if you do not belong here, why did you come here in the first place?
Currently, I am working to compile an entire life of song into one book. That is, I am working to assemble all of my songs (197 by final count) that I have written in one book - or at least all of them I have not lost; and I must admit I have lost quite a few. I was planning on calling my book something like ORIGINAL SONGS AND POEMS OF FRANCIS WILLIAM BESSLER, but then I told myself, hey, that is a title that does not say much. What exactly are you trying to say with your book of songs? Well, let me see, I told myself - let me look at an index of my songs and pick one that most reflects how I have tried to live my life.
Well, that could have been any of many of them I have written, but one really stood out. Alphabetically, between a song called JESUS IS MY WAY - which I wrote in 2008 - and one called JUST WALKING IN THE SUN - which I wrote in 2004 - there nestled between the two of them is one called JOYFUL HAPPY SOUNDS!
That's it! I told myself. JOYFUL HAPPY SOUNDS! That has been the entire meaning of my life - to be happy and be grateful for having been "incarnated" into this wonderful worldly body I have been privileged to call "mine." That's it! JOYFUL HAPPY SOUNDS! That is what I am going to call my book of songs.
As it happened, I wrote that song back in 1971. I will admit that I have not looked at it much since I wrote it, but I think I have lived the theme of it - even though I might have "betrayed" some of the details of that song. I wrote it to sing it to my first wife, Dee. In my song, I pledged to always be true - as a husband; but I have not kept that pledge - even as I have kept my pledge to always be a friend to Dee.
Dee and I divorced, though, way back in 1977; but in a way, I am still married to Dee. As long as I wake up every morning wishing that Dee is having a good day, well, I figure that is almost as good as being married. It does not matter all that much if I am married to Dee to want her to have a good life; and it is in wanting Dee to have a good life that I think I am a man of joy.
Is there anything more important than JOY? I don't think so. That is why I came into this "incarnation" - to have and experience JOY. What are the "sounds of joy"? Look at a bird and find out. Look at many birds and find out. Watch them as they sing and chirp for joy - and then go forward to imitate them - and find in your imitation all the joy that you might want. Hey, I think I will make that the cover of my coming book of songs - birds singing and chirping as if lost in JOY! What do you think? Pretty good idea, huh?
Anyway, Coming Soon - JOYFUL HAPPY SOUNDS! - my book of songs and poems written since I started writing them and keeping them. I wrote a few when I was a kid, but I have lost all of them. The oldest one I have that is also one of my keepers is a thing called PRAYER OF A PRIEST - which I wrote in 1963. I did not become a Catholic priest because the faculty of St. Thomas saw the "error of my ways" and dismissed me before I could say "I do"; but I sure do like the sentiment of it - to be thankful and to be a "man of joy!"
For what it's worth, here it is:
PRAYER OF A PRIEST
A Poem
By
Francis William Bessler
Denver, Colorado
1963
Oh Lord, let all weakness from us disband
and grant us strength from your loving hand.
We stand before you and in hope implore
we may all be one in you forever more.
We servants here present before you pray
that we be worthy to light the way -
to strive for peace and to never cease
thanking you for calling us to be your priests.
In order to prepare for this delight
we beseech your guidance and your sight,
Your kind embrace so that you may gain
our lives in obedience without complaint.
Let me leave you with the song I wrote in 1971. And now, it will be the title of a life of song and poem. Imagine That! My publisher at Amazon.com (Create Space) will be preparing JOYFUL HAPPY SOUNDS for print soon - right after finishing the current work in process - EXPLORING THE SOUL - AND BROTHER JESUS. My book on the soul should be done by the end of July; and then after that, JOYFUL HAPPY SOUNDS should be ready by the end of August.
At least that is the plan now.
Be in touch as you wish! And lose yourself in a world of JOYFUL HAPPY SOUNDS! OK?
Gently,
Francis William Bessler
JOYFUL HAPPY SOUNDS!
By
Francis William Bessler
Denver, Colorado
9/1971
Put your heart into your mouth.
I'd love to hear you, Spouse.
Come to me, Dear.
Tell me what I want to know.
Tell me that your world's aglow
and that you will always want me near.
If anything ever bothers you,
please don't let it keep you blue
for I will always be around.
You can always count on me, Love.
So, let's be a couple of turtle doves
and always make joyful happy sounds.
REFRAIN:
Oh, yes, My Dear,
whisper in my ear
what I want to hear
that you love me true -
just as I love you.
Put your hand in mine
and let us make our hearts entwine
as we greet each new tomorrow.
Let the world pass us by
if it wants to sit and cry.
In our lives, let their be little sorrow.
Let's embrace each other tightly
and not take our marriage lightly.
Let's caress each other now.
Let us hug and kiss and squeeze
and every possible moment seize
to strengthen our wonderful marriage vow.
Refrain.
So, if anything bothers you,
please don't let it keep you blue
for I will always be around.
You can always count on me, Love.
Let's be a couple of turtle doves
and always make joyful happy sounds.