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...