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...