After the Storm

After the Storm is an Aisling. The poetic form was invented as a clandestine way to speak of the forbidden, that is, to ferment rebellion in Ireland in the 17 th century. In these poems the speaker, sorest bent and troubled, lamenting the state of his country meets a Woman of the Sky (Spéirbhean) when wandering in the wilderness. The Spéirbhean sings the speakers sorrows and promises that the next rebellion will be successful. The speaker is then offered a choice between a return to reality or a one-way trip with the ethereal Spéirbhean, that is, a choice between a slim hope or escape into fantasy. These are the rules of the form, however poets don’t tend to stick to rules. Within three decades of its invention satire claimed the form for its own. It was used to mock; posturing puffed would-be rebels promising quick fixes, the naivety of poets and the selfishness of spirits. O Broin has updated this form of poetry. Setting the poem on a beach in Ireland at the time of the last financial crisis (2009). The bankrupt poet Poraic Scuse meets a Woman of the Sky,but things do not go according to plan. The piece blends myth, contemporary dance and classical violin.