Broken men confused disillusioned

invalided lay full of longing

for an old way

longing for a country.

old men longing for a lost youth

lost to war

lost and left in a living marble tomb

hearing the music and dance of younger men

of a youth denied them

longing to die on their own land.

Luis has given us a deck of tarot cards. It is our performance day. We make our way through the market place and watch and are watched in the large square as we dance our Sean Nós giving us the rhythm through our ear phones.

Some discarded posters offer us the re-enactment of the silver candle stick bearers in precession.

We are interacting with some tourists who are enjoying the impromptu dance by the bridge as we make our way to the little bar Peńa Familear Los Cahales on Calle Jovellanos. Our host greets us as we set up among the dining tables and decor of this family run bar. We have red threads, handkerchiefs made from shirts, the tarot cards, our Ipods.

The red thread is wound his offered arms as he is not quite sure how to move being restricted by the bound hands. The tarot cards are wrapped in men's handkerchiefs and offered to the guests, family and friends. The atmosphere is a mix of lightness and sobriety, going from our Sean Nos dancing to the drawing out of the red chain which links every in the bar. We think we are finished when we are challenged to a game of Dominoes Ireland v Spain and the competitiveness become very real and entertaining we win two matches.

September 18, 2015