NAFTAKIN, THE BLIND           
                                   
                                          
 A  STUDENT AT THE CHARCOAL  GUILD... HIS 
 EYES SEWN  SHUT FROM BIRTH...  THE  MOST 
            SUCCESSFUL STUDENT            
                                          
 BUT ONE DAY  HE FELL DOWN INTO A CRYSTAL 
 CAVERN. IT  WAS DEEP  IN THE MOUNTAIN, A 
 GREAT  HALL  WITH  ONLY  A  SINGLE  TINY 
 INLET   FOR  BOTH   LIGHT  AND   FALLING 
                STUDENTS...               
                                          
 IN THE FALL,  THE  QUARTZ SLICED OFF THE 
 THREADS  IN  HIS EYES,  OPENING THEM FOR 
 THE   FIRST   TIME.  BEFORE   HIM,   THE 
 CRYSTALS MIRRORED  AND REFRACTED THE ONE 
 LIGHT  SMIDGE INTO  A  WHOLE NIGHT  SKY, 
 AND   HE   WAS   STRUCK  DOWN  WITH  AWE 
                                          
 BUT ALSO  WITH  SHAME,  BECAUSE HIS EYES 
 HAD  SEEN.  HURRIEDLY,  HE  USED  THREAD 
 FROM   HIS   ROBE  TO   SEW  THEM   BACK 
 TOGETHER, AND WHEN HELP CAME HE  DID NOT 
        TELL OF HIS TRANSGRESSION.        
                                          
 FOR YEARS HE STUDIED  AT THE  GUILD.  HE 
 BECAME  A MASTER,  AND THEN  A  PILGRIM. 
 YET THE IMAGE FROM  THE  CAVE NEVER LEFT 
                   HIM.                   
                                          
 AT THE END  OF HIS  LIFE,  WHEN  AT  THE 
 EDGE OF THE WORLD  HE  OPENED  HIS  EYES 
 FOR A SECOND TIME,  STARS HAD HATCHED IN 
                  THEM...