writing was hard today

photo|courtesy

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication

-Leornado da Vinci

To write today was hard

The topics came and went by so fast

In verity they were just bad

Trying out haikus. Just words strung together really.

#100daysofblogging #day10

#stateofthenationaddresske

Image obtained from president's website: http://www.president.go.ke/

It is still too early to complain

That was the message from the crowd

They said they can wait

They are willing to sit it out

#SOTNKe

For the president is only young

And his term has been just BUT a year

It is acceptable

The people say it can be swallowed

That our wildlife has been poached faster in a year

Than it has been for the past decade

We accept that the terror attacks happened without our knowledge

And that getting the report endorsed and implemented

Is a privilege

One held by the political elite

We THE PEOPLE ACCEPT

That flying of flags takes precedence

And who flies them where and why is a matter of national concern

Despite the advice from the top man:

“Leaders in different arms of government ought to dedicate themselves to the achievement of the constitution, not the supremacy of their branch of the public service”

A concern that supersedes intelligence

Over increasing number of body bags in our presence

And the accompanying ‘investigative’ silence

We are okay with the increase in inflation

Provided uhunye is at the center of the national portrait

“Na tuko digital”

This is nonsense  

A stupidity that goes beyond the emotional

The physical

The spiritual

This

This is the state of the nation address

Full of promise and lack of premise

I hear you Mr. President orate:

“but let us be careful: in devolving power and resources to the counties, we must remember that to infect our new county governments with the worst vices of the old is to betray the great hope of the constitution and its tenets of leadership and integrity. Such a betrayal must not happen under my watch”

Yet we all saw those that tender typewriters

And software that is available free online

We have found a new way to eat

KUSEMA NA KUTENDER

Masking our deals with business like undertones

Everything is in shades of grey

“and for governance in particular, article 10 calls for integrity, transparency, and accountability”

Including trips to Rwanda

To learn about city cleaning and decongestion

Yet Rwanda is on the record saying they learnt their trade from Nairobi

We too accept this

We accept this and other daylight robberies

Mr. President you rob me

YOU ROB ME Mr. President

Off my civil right to speak against ills

To march and mobilize people of similar opinion

#diapermentality

You stood up and spoke in a language flowery

Of how you defend and uphold the constitution

Do you realize our nation is slowly falling?

Accustomed to mediocrity

#HudumaKE

How goes that Commander in Chief?

Is still at its infancy stage?

Just like civility in this nation

Democracy

And governance

EVERYTHING is suddenly at infancy

We reply to each query

With a choreographed chorused answer

 “This is a new constitution and we are doing everything to make it work. It is not the time to point fingers” ^*

What is wrong with the laptop project?

“This is a new constitution and we are doing everything to make it work. It is not the time to point fingers”

What is happening to our elephants and rhinos?

“This is a new constitution and we are doing everything to make it work. It is not the time to point fingers”

What happened to the Standard Gauge Railway hearings?

“This is a new constitution and we are doing everything to make it work. It is not the time to point fingers”

Where are we in terms of response after the recent terror activity?

“This is a new constitution and we are doing everything to make it work. It is not the time to point fingers”

What is the feasibility of the uwezo fund, what impacts continue being felt?

“This is a new constitution and we are doing everything to make it work. It is not the time to point fingers”

Do you know the meaning of Inflation?

“This is a new constitution and we are doing everything to make it work. It is not the time to point fingers”

The insecurity is so high 

We invoked the shoot-to-kill directive

What can you say of that Mr. President?

“This is a new constitution and we are doing everything to make it work. It is not the time to point fingers”

 

This is indeed a new constitution

“no great task is easily accomplished ours is no exception”

But I would love to see a new president too

Not a puppet and actor like all the rest before him

You had a spine once

Calling out your opponents during the campaign

Has the seat mellowed you?

Or did you just realize

That this job may not be for you?

Stand up Mr. President

And be real with me

Be real with your people

Before the say yes to everything

Including a dictatorship

Be real Mr. President

Be real with yourself

For this was not

The STATE of the nation

Rather

The EXPECTATION of the nation address.

^* Only quote not included in the president's address

Taking a photo; Making a photo. The difference

Making photographs as opposed to taking photographs. There is a difference in this two. Good photographs are taken, great photographs are made. With all the melee and excitement directed at a final image few people ever wonder what it takes to produce the moment. However, there are photos that when taken are just as good as those made. The following images show the steps and journey to the creation of a masterpiece. It started out well with the event ongoing and led to the conception of a great idea. 

Arrived midway through the event

Had to look for a way through the crowds

Shot of the ceremony and graduation square from a vantage point

End of ceremony; distinguished guests arrive

Graduands milling around while the ceremony was going on

Guests, parents and business men and women were at work.

The exodus

While we waited to create the shot we worked shooting various people and scenes

We waited

people took their time leaving

but the guests were seemingly busy and filed out fast

still we waited....

and got pissed waiting

but we did some pro bono work for few friendly faces

we made friends

and met and shot a band doing what they do

then the shoot started

trying out various poses

and clumsy antics

when the coast was clear prepping started

the location was not perfect but it was ideal

we had to scout for something that suited the intended desire

makeup and clothes were models own hahaha

Perfecto!!

find here the final masterpiece

after we scouted alternate spots

and created mementos of a lifetime

it is befitting to say the lens and the model were in-sync

and the day ended on a high.

It took hours of waiting, a great set of eyes and a determined lot to pull this off. It may look like the Job was simple but it was not. When they think they can pull off what you did in a lesser time then you have done a good job. This was poetry with the lens look out for more images of delight.