One of Many Baltimores

Places
Written By Andrew Brown
Two beers on the bar at The Brewer's Art brewery in Baltimore.

The Brewer’s Art, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Visited on January 13, 2013

A place you can’t touch has a name, but it’s more an idea than a place. You can’t hold Baltimore in your hand, for instance. Not the way you can hold this glass of beer in your hand. You can’t taste Baltimore the way you can taste the beer in this glass. Nonetheless, I say I’ve been to Baltimore more than a few times. Because this is my first trip to The Brewer’s Art, one might say, NOW you’ve been to Baltimore. Others would say, There are many Baltimores. You’ve been to a few. But you’ll never visit them all. And that’s true. Most of the Baltimores I’ve visited are already gone. I couldn’t return to them if I wanted to. And someday this brewery will close. Maybe not in my lifetime, but someday. And all that will be left is this poem:

Lover, even before you knew what I knew,
I’d rather have skipped a trip than travel without you.

Andrew Brown

Andrew Brown is a full-time author.

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