On the Opening of a Library (poem)

Frederick, Maryland has some downtown gems. The most famous (other than the tomb of Francis Scott Key) is the painted bridge. It is a plain concrete bridge over Carroll Creek, just outside a local art museum. A local artist painted the entire bridge in realistic colors as if it were old stone with ivy, with various other patterns intertwined. That has resulted in multiple urban paintings in downtown Frederick.

The new library (C. Burr Artz) is on Carroll Creek, a stone's throw (well, two stones) from the famous bridge. It has in it a beautifully carved wooden tree with a seat under it, as a place to read stories for children. I went with my children to the grand opening, and wrote this sitting under the magic story tree while my children got their faces painted and chased balloons and story books.