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...