to Rick

    We learned geometry from you in California
    Like the disciples in Greek academia

    Out of your a priori estimates
    grew our a posteriori theses

    Through your seminars we acquired mathematical freedom
    Now we fly high and free as you taught us to

    Life is short
    Mathematics is long

    Gaps are easy to find
    Key lemmas hard to prove

    But we know over the quagmire there are beautiful theorems
    Over the rainbow there exists wisdom of life

       written by Jaigyoung Choe and presented at the conference in honor of Rick Schoen's 65th birthday