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THE BUG THAT NEVER WAS by David Tworkowski, HEAL San Diego Volunteer Dedicated to Dave Pasquarelli and the wonderful, life-affirming people of ACT UP San Francisco There once was a town called Playville, and all the Playvillians who lived there would play and play and play. They played all day and all night, Everyday, day after day. Many times, they often said, "Let's play all night and not go to bed." Besides playing, the Playvillians thought candy was dandy, So if they weren't playing, they were busy eating candy. Sometimes, they ate so much candy that they would explode, or else become sick. So many of the Playvillians became sick that it became an epidemic. But one group of Playvillians did not get sick. They were called the why-is-its. They played a little, and ate candy a little, But they took care to eat well and always made their bedtime visits. But mostly, the why-is-its asked questions, lots of questions, And this always led them in lots of directions. They asked the Playvillians why they ate so much candy and played all day and all night, And they asked the candy-shop owners why they sold the Playvillians so much candy if it caused such a fright. The why-is-its made the shop-owners angry, "See here," said one, "we need to sell candy." Man to a man, they all took a stand, "We'll stop the why-is-its, We'll put together a plan." "I know what we'll say," said the head candy-shop owner, "We'll say it's the playing that's making the Playvillians ill." "We'll make a law against even playing at all. And we'll tell them the candy is good for them, And they need to eat even more still." They hired doctors and gave them a message to send. Then, the doctors went on TV and said that even playing a little would cause a bug - an invisible bug - to grow inside of them. The doctors called the sickness 'BUGS' and said there's nothing that could ever be done, Except that eating candy could possibly help some. So the Playvillians stopped playing, and Playville became a sad place. But they kept eating candy, and kept exploding, What a disgrace! Everyone panicked and started to howl, "Do something, do something, do something now." So the doctors built BUGS hospitals, and BUGS stores and BUGS schools, BUGS became 'BUGS, Inc.', so the Playvillians stayed cool. Many years went by and the Playvillians forgot how happy they used to be. All they did now was to sit around worrying about the BUGS and eating candy. But the why-is-its never did believe the doctors, So one day they showed up at the doctor's headquarters. "Get out of here," the head doctor said, "or we'll put you in prison." "No you won't," said the head why-is-it, "you wouldn't dare, because we know your mission." "There is no bug - no invisible bug, You just made it up, To sell the shop-owners' stuff, You're all so corrupt." Then the doctors panicked and started blaming each other. "It was he," said one. "It was this one," said another. "It was that one," said still another. And on, and on, 'til no one could take cover. Then after a while, it didn't take long, the doctors and the candy-shop owners were put into jail for doing so much wrong. And all over Playville, the Playvillians would call, "Bring on the Why-is-its, they are heroes to us all." And eventually, the Playvillians stopped eating so much candy, and started to play a little, too. Very soon, everyone got well, And Playville was a happier place for more than just a few. So many problems, for so many years, Now the Playvillians saw the truth through their tears. Their problems came from inside them, but not from a bug, For their fear and their panic created that bug, a bug that never was. 
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