The Legend of Whiskey Wisconsin (Part 6/9)

Around the fire, a circle did appear,
Its flames a dance that none could understand.
The traders watched, and with a sense of fear,
They dared not cross the line that marked the sand.
But Whiskey knew, and with no doubt to steer,
He stepped into the circle’s burning land.
The flames did dance, and with them Whiskey saw,
The earth itself, and nature’s endless law.

A tree did stand, its bark both cracked and old,
Its leaves had turned to ash, and roots to dust.
The traders spoke of it, and none were bold,
To ask the tree, or seek what lies beneath trust.
But Whiskey knew, and with a heart so cold,
He dug beneath the ash, and found what must.
The tree did speak, and with its voice so deep,
It told him tales, of seasons lost to sleep.

The bears did roam, beneath a lantern’s glow,
Their eyes so bright, like stars in the night’s sky.
The traders watched, but none could hope to know
The secret path, the bears had found to fly.
But Whiskey smiled, and with a heart aglow,
He followed them beneath the stars on high.
The bears did guide him, through the night’s own haze,
To lands unknown, where starlight held its blaze.

A spirit came, its mask a twisted form,
Its face so strange, it scared the very trees.
The traders feared, and none could brave the storm,
For none could face the mask that none could please.
But Whiskey stood, and with no fear to warm,
He took the mask, and saw it move with ease.
The spirit spoke, and in its voice so clear,
It told him all the things that men must fear.

A crow did call, its voice a mournful cry,
Its feathers dark, like shadows in the night.
The traders turned, but none could wonder why
The crow did call with sorrow in its flight.
But Whiskey smiled, and with a heart so high,
He answered back, and found the crow’s own light.
The crow did lead him through the woods so deep,
And showed him secrets that the earth must keep.