Three siblings, a pilot, university professor, and marijuana grow operator, come together every Christmas. As always, their elderly parents present to them their thoughts in a recorded message. 
 
But this year’s missive causes Frederick, Maria and Marcus to flinch, intense sentiments resurface. 
 
But before they can react, they are distracted by the sudden disappearance of the family’s talkative parrot, Pock. Who has stolen him? Fingers are pointed. Gypsies are blamed.
 
As the diversion subsides, their thoughts shift back to the recordings. 
 
The Pilot and the Parrot is a story about the power of the message, and messenger, to impact the emotions of recipients. 
 
Marcus has spent his life never doing as asked. Why should he change now? Considering the threatening conditions was causing him to think about it. That also was new. If his life depended on it, could he follow orders? Find out what's behind these lyrics in scene 4.
 
Never Doing as I’m Told
 
Do that
Do that
Do that
Do that
 
I thought it was free-dom
Gangs are mocking me
The crassest form of trash
So envelopes me
 
I thought we could live
With no hindrance
To love as we please
In this wild game of chance
 
But there’s a monkey in the barrel
And the snakes are feeding trolls
As I wander through the poppies
Never doing as I’m told
 
Not taking credit
For all the damage done
I’m better off resisting
The battle can’t be won
 
The wise old men keep ranting 
This one will end all wars
As legions hold the lanterns
To guide you through the horrors
 
But there’s a monkey in the barrel
And the snakes are feeding trolls
As I wander through the poppies
Never doing as I’m told
 
It’s all a misconception
A birth that’s never made
A way to our salvation
As long as creeps get paid
 
Raised with a belief
It’s a crime to take a life
But there's always an exception
For those who won the fight.
 
All lyrics and music protected by copyright
James Allan Krause ©
ISRC CA8S41600004