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...