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...