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...