Lynn Woods

LIGHTNING PICKS A TREE

Seeking a path of least resistance

lightening picks a dying tree

deep-rooted and already decaying

water and sap boil, then explode

exposing long forgotten layers

of heartwood, unfamiliar

and full of holes, skin now rough

and thick as an elephant’s trunk

still as a sculpture, it sways its

space in a canopy of memories

seeing what could not be seen

before the light shined through

 

 

Hike level: Easy

Location: Lynn, MA

Driving distance from Boston: About 1/2 hour

Cost: FREE; Print trail map here

Description: Lynn Woods is a a 2,200 acre municipal forest located in Lynn, Massachusetts with over 30 miles of hiking trails. There's an easy, meandering 6+mile loop from Cornel Path to Overlook Trail to Cookie Road. It has a lot of great pond views too (both Breed's Pond and Walden Pond).