In 2020 I invited members of C Group to contribute to a collection of poems on the theme of the Covid Pandemic.  This was launched as A Viral Time Warp on the C Group website later that year.  Concurrently, I edited a collection of poems on the same theme, titled Something in the Air, published by Our Glass Publishing.  And in 2021, I followed this up with another collection; The New Normal on the theme of the Pandemic a year on.  These two publications included poems both from C group and non-C group members.  HLT Mag will be publishing a series of the poems from these collections in future issues. This text comes from Something in the Air  collection.

Alan Maley

 

Rieux: There seem to be an unusual number of rats around – anyone else noticed? Or is it just my street LOL.

 

Gonzales

My neighbours are sick. They say it’s cholera.

 

Cottard 

Rat spotting: How many did you get?

Raoul 1

Garcia10

Marcel25

Gonzalez50

 

Raoul

Here’s  our rat. Sooooo cute!

 

Oran Prefecture

This is a false alarm. The rumours of an epidemic that have been circulating are unfounded and should be ignored. We urge you to wait out the course of events calmly.

Rieux a policy of wait-and-see is, to say the least of it, unwise.

Richard  The Prefect is right. We do not want to increase public alarm.

 

Gonzalez

Rat shooting . Shot  5 rats today. You?

Raoul 10

Luis 20

Cottard 0

 

Oran Prefecture

It is not possible as yet to say if this fever is contagious. The symptoms are not so marked as to be really perturbing. It seems to be a false alarm  and the authorities feel sure they can rely on the townspeople to treat the situation with composure.

Richard:  A sensible measured approach. We do not want mass hysteria

Castel: How can they be so blind!

 

Grand

Decided to write a novel. Creativity is the best way of keeping calm. What do you think of my first sentence?

One fine morning in the month of May an elegant young horsewoman might have been seen riding a handsome sorrel mare along the flowery avenues of the Bois de Boulogne

 

Oran Prefecture

I now take the responsibility of tightening up regulations. Compulsory declaration of all cases of fever and their isolation are to be strictly enforced. The residences of sick people are to be shut up and disinfected; persons living in the same house are to go into quarantine; burials are to be supervised by the local authorities.

Rieux: Too little too late!

Paneloux The just man need have no fear, but the evildoer has good cause to tremble. For plague is the flail of God and the world His threshing-floor

Othon Absolutely irrefutable.

 

Grand

Or this: One fine morning in May a slim young horsewoman might have been seen riding a handsome sorrel mare along the flowery avenues of the Bois de Boulogne.' Don't you agree with me one sees her better that way?  But what about ‘handsome’? Maybe black would be a better adjective – more visual?

Rieux   Sorrel is a colour though.

Grand What colour?

Rieux Not black.

Tarrou How about glossy?

Grand Great idea!

 

Oran Prefecture

We are pleased to report that supplies of serum have arrived.

Rieux There is not enough if the epidemic is  to spread.  We need more .

Oran Prefecture: The emergency reserve stock is exhausted,

 

Raoul

There may not be  enough serum – but peppermint lozenges are  reportedly effective against the infection.

 

Oran Prefecture

Proclaim a state of plague. Close the town.

Rieux So they've got alarmed at last.

 

Grand

How about this : “One fine morning in May a slim young horsewoman might have been seen riding a glossy sorrel mare along the flower-strewn avenues of the Bois de Boulogne."

Rieux Are the flowers on the trees or on the road?

 

Grand

Looked for peppermint lozenges -  the shelves are empty!

Raoul : PM me I may be able to help.

 

Gonzalez

Check out this website: https. Coup d’etat goes viral

The virus is being spread deliberately by the Algerians who are going to use our weakness to mount a revolution!  En garde!

Rieux Check with snopes.com It’s fake news. And anyway the plague is not a virus.

 

Rambert

 Checking reactions. How are you all doing?

Tarrou Bored , so bored! Drift through life the prey of aimless days and sterile memories

Rieux An irrational longing to hark back to the past  or to speed up the march of lives

Rambert Lethargy . Great misfortunes are monotonous. Prowling round my room all day .

 

 Marcel

There don’t seem to be any rats around any more.

 

Cottard

Enough of this melancholy! Let’s be positive! What do you do to have fun?

Marcel Evening dress is a sure charm against the plague!

            Rieux Friendly contact , human warmth – cafes!

Tarrou An evening swim

L’Espagnol Asthmatique Moving peas from one pan to another

Grumpy Old Fart Spitting at cats from my balcony

 

Rieux

The newspapers comply with all instructions from the government  - optimism at all costs!

 

Oran Prefecture

Official: The infection may be deliberately being spread by the British who want to consolidate their control over Africa. Look for any suspicious activity by British citizens.

 

Raoul

Official: Waterproof outer garments can protect against the plague.

 

Cottard

 How many words can you make containing peste?

Rambert De-preste

Gonzalez Not impreste

Raoul Pest-O ( not obtainable in shops any more)

Marcel Pesterers

Garcia Cheapest

 

Rambert

It’s raining! Looked for an anorak – but shops have none left!

Raoul PM me I may be able to help

 

Tarrou

OMG they’re coming back! Saw a rat again today.

 

Raoul

 The best protection against infection is reputedly a bottle of good wine.

 

Grand

Have decided to cut all adjectives!

One  morning in May a horsewoman might have been seen riding a mare along the avenues of the Bois de Boulogne."

 

Cottard

Short of liquor? Cigarettes?

Our online deliveries may be able to help! www.cottardetraoul@finewines .com

 

Rieux

A new order of life  must set in after  this plague.

Tarrou What do you mean by  the new normal  – new films at the picture houses?