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...