This past Friday, Cuban writer and musician Frank (Francisco) Upierre Casellas shared his poignant poem "When the Lights Go Out" on Facebook. This work offers a powerful symbolic representation of Cuba's chronic blackouts, transforming them into a metaphor for the collective fear and the nation's slow disintegration.
Dated 2026, the poem emerges amid one of the most severe energy crises the island has faced in recent memory. Daily power shortages this week ranged from 1,440 to 1,900 MW, with blackouts lasting over 20 hours in several provinces, leaving entire cities without radio or television signals.
The Symbolism of Darkness
Right from the start, Upierre Casellas candidly describes Cuba's situation: "darkness arrives with its rumble / with its darkest shadow's bite / to gnaw at the nation's humble flesh." The darkness in the poem isn't just the absence of light; it symbolizes the institutionalized fear, the closed horizon, and a life lived under the shadows cast by decades of dictatorship.
In his words: "not respecting even the sunny dawn / with its cloak spread wide / it envelops and darkens the life of living," he paints a picture of a darkness that blurs the lines between day and night, between the possible and the impossible.
A Reflection of National Despair
The poem's rawest lines encapsulate the emotional state of millions of Cubans: "every day is the fear of the shadows / and the nights are the fear of the fear of the shadows," a depiction that amplifies the terror to an unbearable level. The closing delivers a stark message: "the darkest part of the darkness is the dark void / that makes us foresee the slow death of the nation."
What makes this poem particularly significant is that its author isn't a marginal or exiled dissident but a writer cultivated within the regime's own cultural institutions. Upierre Casellas is a member of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) and a winner of national contests like the Dulce María Loynaz in 1992 and 1993. His notable works include "The Magical Watercolor" and "It's Raining in Havana."
Born in Guanabacoa, Havana, in 1956, Upierre Casellas holds a degree in History and began his literary journey in 1978 in workshops on the Isle of Youth, led by Soleida Ríos, Alberto Serret, and Chely Lima, as noted in the digital encyclopedia Ecured. Since 1990, he has also pursued a career in music, initially with the trio Madrigal and later with the quartet Olorun. In 1996, he penned the lyrics for the Anthem of Guanabacoa.
The Broader Crisis Context
A voice such as his, acknowledged and honored by the very system, speaking of "the slow death of the nation" says as much about Cuba's state as any statistical data. And the figures are grim. On May 7, the peak electrical disruption reached 1,876 MW at 8:40 PM, with continuous service interruptions for 24 hours. Matanzas faced over 40 consecutive hours without electricity, while Santiago de Cuba lost radio and television signals due to generation deficits.
The Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant went offline on May 5 due to a boiler failure, losing 140 MW, further straining a system already at its limit. Although repairs were announced on Saturday, restarting Guiteras remains an unfulfilled promise.
The energy collapse is merely one aspect of a broader crisis. According to the Cuban Observatory for Human Rights, 89% of Cubans live in extreme poverty, with seven out of ten Cubans skipping meals due to the lack of food or money, and 78% intending to emigrate.
Blackouts are the chief concern for 72% of Cubans, followed by the food crisis (71%) and cost of living (61%), as per the same study. In this context of literal and metaphorical darkness, Upierre Casellas's verses serve as both testimony and denunciation: "it places scales of shadows on our eyes / empty gems impossible to see the light upon the waters / and sniff out the clear corners of the Island."
Understanding Cuba's Energy and Economic Crisis
What does Frank Upierre Casellas's poem symbolize?
The poem "When the Lights Go Out" uses the metaphor of blackouts to symbolize collective fear and the slow disintegration of Cuba under its current regime.
How severe is Cuba's current energy crisis?
Cuba is experiencing significant energy shortages, with daily deficits between 1,440 and 1,900 MW, resulting in blackouts lasting over 20 hours in various regions.
What impact do blackouts have on Cuban citizens?
Blackouts are a major concern for Cubans, as they disrupt daily life, prevent access to information, and contribute to the overall crisis affecting food availability and cost of living.