The room is dark, damp, and cool. The floor is made of wooden planks thrown haphazardly down, and nailed into place with wooden pegs. It looks as though it was once rough, but through years of use it has been polished to smooth perfection. The wall against my back is of rough stone, perhaps natural in origin or maybe cut from the mountains with a hammer and chisel. In the darkness it is hard to tell.
The sunlight streaming though the forest catches and plays along the maple's golden leaves. The smell of autumn is in the air, drifting between the trunks like perfume. The trees are widely spaced and orderly. This section of the small forest has either been touched by God or marred by the hand of man to achieve such organization.
The path is hardly a path at all, for the trees are spaced so that one could wander for hours without direction though the tall trees without stumbling, simply enjoying the sounds of life.
Near the northern edge of the grove, a wide and shallow river has worn its way though a large worked stone, cutting it in half, and creating a beautiful waterfall. The soft roar of the falls, echos in my ears, filling me with delight. Though beautiful, a sadness touches my heart. The river could be so much more, so much faster and powerful had not man tired to alter its course with the hard stone. Yet the fact the river has endured, and the stone has not, should be a lasting testament that hope does spring eternal and beauty will triumph over greed.
A delicate crystal goblet lay on its side here, resting amid the soft earth. Its delicate beauty speaks of a time long ago, when honor, truth and beauty were each beheld in their own right. It sits, placed perhaps, as a reminder of days gone by. The light reflects upon its soft peach surface, playing upon it, picking out golden highlights, almost begging you to lift it from its resting spot and behold it in the full light of day.
The key lay shinning upon the path, breaking the sunlight into a million silver shards, drawing my eyes to it. It is sharp and well defined, looking none the worse for wear and tear, looks almost defiant, almost saying "I will defy the elements and last until someone takes me and uses me for my intended purpose". The key opens many doors, and speaks to me of things yet to come. Its beauty and defiance serve as an example to me showing me the things it will take to excel and survive behind the door I open with it.