Update from Qudus' blog

May 28, 2008

UP NEPA in the City of light!

This darkness...
This energy of life,
This darkness...
These happy people,
This darkness still keeps our humanity alive
and brings us close to the destructive human nature.

sounds of generator,
clamored claps
sounds of effected silence
in this city,
we celebrate life.
In this city,
we even celebrate electricity



UP NEPA has crept gently
into the bowels of our society
and became a permanent bastard
every home can't avoid,
even those with noise making machine
that generates power,
it reminds us that if
Nigerian Electrical Power Authority
can metamorphose into
Never Expect Power at All.
then, anything can happen.

UP NEPA is still our most popular hymn,
even if PHCN threatens to be
a Company that Holds our National Power.

*** UP NEPA ! ***
is not just another phrase in Nigerian context,
it stands for hope and alternative ways of survival
it reminds us of our cool tempered anger
it remind us how much of a failure our leaders are
it reminds us to always put on our full light on the highways
it reminds us of a basic amenity that we don't have
which has become our permanent fascination.
it reminds us to always remember
even if the solution is not vivid yet.


Just on the other side,
across the Mediterranean
on the same meridian
lies the city of light,
another city with a different velocity,
Harbourer of towers and skyscrapers.
still, we wonder how come they
haven't put some light in hidden spots,
mounting on the high towers
won't still afford them seeing these.


Not too good for Paree
This homosexual city
wanting to be a voyager between two;
Finding the sisters romantic and
the play boys sexy
what a way to think.

They killed their kings,
starved the servants,
slaughter their sons and
pray no more to the popes,
we can as well feel the rythms of their mind
screaming and humming to the sounds of UP NEPA
but unable to let it out,
its a pity for their city
we can't stop to love.

This darkness still keeps our humanity alive
and brings us close
to the destructive human nature.
which reminds us that A Luta Contínua!
is a Portuguese language
that means precisely,
UP NEPA in Nigerian pidgin!

and by the time the revolution begins
we shall all scream UUUPP NNEEPPAA!!!
to break lose and be free of our shells