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...