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...