Seasons of Love…La Vie Boheme—

The terminally ill sing to keep their sanity;
To stay positive about living with AIDS.

Choices made in a moment weak,
Resulted in a virus incurable;
HIV, AIDS decimating 19 to 25 year olds.
This is what we saw on stage.

The author of this wonderful event—
‘Rent’--
Died shortly before its first season…
Never saw his great coup--

The Reeducation of America about AIDS.

(In 1996, you see, AIDS victims were
America’s Lepers…
Thought cursed for Homosexuality;
Promiscuity; Illicit Drug Use.

We did not shake hands, kiss, touch,
Lest they infect us Good Folk--
Those fortunate to have slept with non-infecteds...
Or, to never have needed another's blood to survive.)

Yet the true grit of this script
Was how it challenged us to
‘Remember the love’
And to measure our lives in it.

We did…
And today, people are living with—
Living with!
Not dying from disease.

To honor Jonathan, the author,
We awarded A Tony,
A Pulitzer.
Honors yes; but tokens small…

The thousands of Lives Saved...
Is the finest trophy of all.