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...