Orlam is a long narrative poem - or a long collection of short poems - by the remarkable musician and composer, PJ Harvey.

Published in 2022, it tells the story a year in the life of Ira-Abel, a nine year old girl living in the less-than-lovely village of Underwhelem, somewhere in Dorset.

​It's written in Dorset dialect but, luckily for us, there is also a translation into plain English. These drawings portray some of the incidents in the story.

All text in quotes and italics is copyright PJ Harvey.

The tale is set in the village of Underwhelem, 'voul village in a hag-ridden hollow'.
​
​It has ploughshares rusting in the hedgerows, three hoar-stones, a hanging post, a pub called The Golden Fleece, Jeyes fluid, and many other features unlikely to encourage an excess of holiday lets or Airbnb.

---

The young girl, Ira-Abel, spends much of her time in Gore Woods. Here, she:
​
'laid my eyes upon the twoad
spet on en and sling a stone
lest 'e brings 'es evil hwome'

---

Ira-Abel spends a lot of time alone in Gore Woods. One day she comes across a wounded civil war soldier:

'A young soldier
with a gash in his neck
who tried to beg'

---

One day, Ira-Abel's brother cuts off her curls.

'Maximus Kane
cut off my curdles
with unsharpened shears.'

​(Curdles = curls)

---

Ira's father, Chalmers, is a farmer, but also a violent drunk. They dip the sheep against blowfly:

'as Chalmers, fortified by whiskey,
flogs the eldest ewe's bonce with a crook.'

---

Lunchtime. It's not a happy time.

'At the table-trough
Chalmer's face is ruddy
from the fury between
his huge sideburns.

Lunch ties a knot
in my innards.
Please sir, can I have no more?'

---

Once 'ruler of work', old father of Dogwell
'dwindles in a rotten armchair ... as the district nurse undresses his weeping ulcers.'

---

And here comes the elderly Myra Bowditch:

'See her teeter to the Inn with her Safeway bag in a drinky dream.'