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Music
Microwave Parroting
©1999 by Ken Clinger

In this song, a caged parrot is in one room, a microwave oven in another. The microwave emits a beep every thirty seconds, alerting the fact that it still holds a cup of reheated coffee. The parrot mimics each beep in turn, a forlorn whistle to a distant stranger. This conversation triggers off a magical transformation. The song was inspired by a spoken word piece by Captive Audience entitled “The Biomechanics of Loneliness.”

deep beneath the feathers, dwells a consciousness intact
memories of amazon, the jungle world of past

dwelling in this northern clime, a solitary life
a solitary parrot, lonely quiet for its plight

humans come and humans go, but they make no impression
daydreams in the silence, as time makes its own progression

but something in the here and now, is calling for attention
another room, a microwave, demanding intervention

(beep beep) i'm signaling
(beep beep) is any-one there
(beep beep) i'm waiting waiting
(beep beep) does any-one care

(beep beep) i've done my duty
(beep beep) i've made it hot
(beep beep) the time's increasing
(beep beep) the heat is not

what is that motion, deep in the parrot musing
something touching time and

what is that calling, beyond the jungle daydream,
signals hinting meaning

an urgent message, something has been forgotten
something losing heat and

i feel connected, i feel a newborn kinship
calling, begging for re-sponse

microwave with parroting, a consciousness intact
looping forward endlessly, a symbiotic pact

combined they trigger something, unexpected ringing true
it starts to gain momentum, with the power to renew

re-verberating outward, waves vibrating form a core
flowing out into a world, not knowing what's in store