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...