“these days
sometimes you sleep
in a purple T-shirt
that says Massachusetts
which means something
in an older language
I can never remember.’’

— From “Poem for Massachusetts, by Matthew Zapruder

“Massachusetts’’ is an Algonquin word that roughly translates to “large hill place” or “at the great hill.”

The word refers to Great Blue Hill, in Milton, an ancient volcano last active over 400 million years ago. It’s now part of a park that includes a famous and historic weather observatory and a ski area.