As in the Stained Glass of a Cathedral.

     Out from under a reddened and golden canopy of nature's autumn, I wandered from one glorious sun-filled haven to another.
     Down a narrow pathway sprinkled with fallen yellow leaves, curving almost jubilantly toward several steps, then gently rising again, widening to find what nature was competent enough to produce, in the earthy-smelling richness of a secret garden - a perfect tree.
     Its cloak of many colours rose up in front of me, halting my progress through the hillside forest of a garden. The tree was more than perfect in my eyes, for it glowed gloriously in the morning sunshine with a spectacular, but quiet brilliance, the colours perfectly evoking that of a magnificent cathedral window of stained glass, its adornment, fit for a king.
     The morning sun filtered its fingers narrowly through the coloured glass of leaves, a gentle breeze blowing, still warm from a summer, reluctant to depart. A whisper of leaves rustled softly, as if subtlety personified, symbolic of a lady's skirt of taffeta, when she quickened, moving gracefully across a room.
     A scattering of birds managed briefly to flit in and out of the upper branches, before departing for the next stained glass window tree.
     But there was none. None measuring up to this towering beauty, perfection in all its glory, the sun continuing to glow golden through its yellow, orange and red leaves. They fluttered breathtakingly, captivating the senses, the spine tingling till it reached the very soul.
     I stood transfixed, admiring this magnificent perfection of nature. Then the sun went behind a passing cloud, as in a glass darkly, the cathedral window was briefly blotted out from the radiance of light.
     Beneath this panoply of exploding colour, the mood of the morning, merged through the leaves with the stealth of a cat hunting a mouse.
     Pausing further, for I could not leave yet, the stained glass conformity of colours, glowed deeper as the sun was perfectly positioned to admonish this awe inspiring window with brilliant, mesmerizing light. Its leaves glistened and shivered with warmth into the morning cathedral, curious and yet captivating, satisfying and almost sensual with loveliness. It was magical, almost mystical.
     The splendour continued while I stood almost breathing it in, with its rich hues of gold, orange and red. Some leaves were almost brown, but several still remaining green. The sky creeping through tiny gaps creating a kaleidoscope, quietly depicted the vastness of glorified light constantly passing through my cathedral window, as would be skillfully crafted in the age old tradition, capturing nature's dance of radiance, form and colour into the vastness beyond.
     Gazing into the midst of the tree, it was fashioned with a rare intricacy that only nature could produce. Each small 'window' appeared to be placed in its correct order, according to who or what had created it, with perfect placement of shapes and colours. It may have grown from a tiny seed, or a small sapling, but who had planted it and why? Did they realize its enormity and beauty in future years? Had they the forethought at the time? As in the skilled craftsman designing and crafting the leaded surrounded window pieces gracing a stunning cathedral, so too was this tree planted for a soul purpose.
     Suddenly, as if on queue, a shaft of strong sunlight pierced through the canopy of leaves and onto the tips bending down at the end of a large branch. It enhanced them with a depth of gilded glory, of a magnificence unsurpassed, against the dark background of nearby trees, rendering them in a glimpse of sheer and utter fulfillment. As in the past I had experienced shafts of light glinting through stained glass windows of a cathedral, alighting deeply within the interior onto the floor or religious statue, so too did this sight remind me of those rare moments. The light would reflect through the various colours falling into pattern or shapes upon the inner sanctum. A rewarding, stunning sight.
     My day was complete.
     As shadows slowly crept across the tree trunk and I had had my fill, it was time to move on. Reluctantly, looking over my shoulder for one last captivating glance, I left that perfect tree, the one that resembled the beauty as in the stained glass of a cathedral.