• Submit Poetry
  • Support SCP
  • About Us
  • Members
  • Join
Thursday, October 22, 2026
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books
No Result
View All Result
Society of Classical Poets
No Result
View All Result
Home Poetry Beauty

‘The People That Walked in Darkness’ by Paul Erlandson

December 22, 2021
in Beauty, Culture, Poetry
A A
17
poems 'The People That Walked in Darkness' by Paul Erlandson

.

The People That Walked in Darkness

The Christmas lights are out tonight,
__Early and fierce and brave.
The lawns of all suburbia,
__A parti-colored nave.

Their swollen ranks caused me to think
__How changed the world should be
If they could crowd the ballot-box
__And vote rather than we!

We might have godly governors:
__Seated and clothed and sane;
And Herod cast from Washington,
__And Christendom again.

.

.

Paul Erlandson resides in Royal Oak Michigan, and has recently retired from an automotive engineering career with Ford Motor Company.  He has had poetry published in “Dome” (a publication of St. Paul’s Cathedral, London) and “The Slumbering Host”, a volume of poetry collected by Clinton Collister and Daniel Rattelle.

ShareTweetPin
The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary.
Read Our Comments Policy Here

RandomPoems

‘Culloden Moor’ and Other Poetry by Alessio Zanelli
Beauty

‘Culloden Moor’ and Other Poetry by Alessio Zanelli

November 4, 2016

  Culloden Moor At last they met. No sound. Arrays deployed. It was the perfect day—no haze, no shine. Long...

2021 Poetry Competition Submission Fee
From the Society

SCP Symposium In-Person in September in Naperville, Illinois

July 2, 2025

. Request for Expression of Interest SCP Poet Russel Winick has graciously agreed to host an in-person SCP Symposium at...

Next Post
‘An Aussie Christmas’ and Other Poetry by David Watt

'The Tunnel to Australia' by Jeff Eardley

‘The North Pole’s on Lockdown’ by Susan Jarvis Bryant

'The North Pole's on Lockdown' by Susan Jarvis Bryant

‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ by Brian Yapko

'It's a Wonderful Life' by Brian Yapko

Comments 17

  1. Margaret Coats says:
    5 years ago

    “A parti-colored nave” is delightful. If the swollen ranks of Christmas light bulbs were actual graces to which we actually correspond, your prophecy could be true. Keep shining, Paul!

    Reply
    • Paul Erlandson says:
      5 years ago

      Thank you, Margaret!!

      Reply
  2. Tamara Beryl Latham says:
    5 years ago

    What a beautifully penned rhyming poem that rings so true, regarding the politics of today. Your words cast light on the darkness surrounding us. Oh, when will it end? 🙂

    Reply
    • Paul Erlandson says:
      5 years ago

      Thank you very much, Tamara!

      Reply
  3. Sally Cook says:
    5 years ago

    Paul
    Simple and clear, a lovel thought !
    I agree with Margaret.

    Hope lots of readers stop by.

    Reply
    • Paul Erlandson says:
      5 years ago

      Thank you, Sally. I do try to be simple and clear. I appreciate your comment!

      Reply
  4. Tlhopho says:
    5 years ago

    Nice one Paul

    Reply
    • Paul Erlandson says:
      5 years ago

      Thanks!

      Reply
  5. Jeff Eardley says:
    5 years ago

    A lovely Christmas thought to ponder. Thank you Paul and hope you have a good one.

    Reply
    • Paul Erlandson says:
      5 years ago

      Same to you, Jeff!

      Reply
  6. Peter Hartley says:
    5 years ago

    Paul – a wonderful thought, pithy, terse and very well written. If only…

    Reply
    • Paul Erlandson says:
      5 years ago

      Thanks, very much, Peter!

      Reply
  7. C.B. Anderson says:
    5 years ago

    I don’t do this kind of thing anymore, but I’m not unhappy that others still choose to carry on with gratuitous ornamentation.

    Reply
    • Paul Erlandson says:
      5 years ago

      Thanks, C. B. — That’s how I feel, also. I’m very happy to gaze on the ornamentation of my neighbor’s houses.

      Reply
      • C.B. Anderson says:
        5 years ago

        Exactimundo. That’s how I feel about dogs. I like dogs, but I am quite happy to like my neighbors’ dogs and not have to keep one myself.

        Reply
  8. Susan Jarvis Bryant says:
    5 years ago

    Paul, I love this bright idea and think you’re onto something here… as long as the dead and dud ones can vote too. You’ve lit up my Chrimbo with this brilliant flash of poetic inspiration… great stuff!

    Reply
    • Paul Erlandson says:
      5 years ago

      Thank you so much, Susan!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *


  1. Roy Eugene Peterson on ‘Life Is Conflictual’: A Poem by Roy E. PetersonOctober 21, 2026

    Yael, such amazing comments. Thank you.

  2. Roy Eugene Peterson on ‘Life Is Conflictual’: A Poem by Roy E. PetersonOctober 21, 2026

    Thank you, Paul, for your kind words.

  3. Cynthia L Erlandson on ‘Again Autumnal’: A Poem by K.J. SalzmannOctober 21, 2026

    Wow, I really love this one, K.J.! Somehow, autumn seems to evoke the word "again", more than the other seasons…

  4. Yael on ‘Life Is Conflictual’: A Poem by Roy E. PetersonOctober 21, 2026

    This is a lovely poem which deserves to be printed out, framed, and displayed prominently somewhere people can benefit from…

  5. Roy Eugene Peterson on ‘Again Autumnal’: A Poem by K.J. SalzmannOctober 21, 2026

    Excellent alliteration (especially p, s, and b).

Subscribe to Daily Poems

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,661 other subscribers
No Result
View All Result

Resources

       1. A Guide to Writing Poetry

      2. The Best Poems of 2020      

      3. Poetry and Writing Contests

      4. Journals Accepting Formal Verse

Recent Poems

  • ‘Again Autumnal’: A Poem by K.J. Salzmann
  • ‘Life Is Conflictual’: A Poem by Roy E. Peterson
  • ‘The Siege on Castle Hill’: A Poem by Apollo Clark Co
  • ‘Every New Pantheon’: A Poem by C.B. Anderson
  • ‘Biblical? Emblematic?’: A Poem by Stephen DiLauro
  • ‘The Valley’: A Poem by Briana Reavis
  • The Blobfish—‘Mr Blobby’: A Poem by Paul A. Freeman
  • ‘Nature’s Family’: A Poem by Margaret Coats
  • ‘The River & The Sea’: A Poem by Rohini Sunderam
  • Poems by Derzhavin, Akhmatova, and Tyutchev, Translated by Kevin Rainbow
  • ‘After-Action Report’: A Poem by Joseph S. Salemi
  • ‘The Walking Wounded’: A Poem by Jeffrey Essmann
  • ‘Their Words, My Fault’ and Other Poems by Russel Winick
  • ‘Lazarus I’: A Poem by Jason Hunt
  • Poetry Challenge: Dictionary Delights
  • ‘In Defense of Rhyme’: An Essay by Euphrates Moss
  • ‘Gun Control’: A Poem by Kevin Ahern
  • ‘Power of a Pen’: A Poem by Janice Stanley
  • The Best Haiku of 2026
  • ‘One Night in Bangkok’ and Other Poetry by Brian Yapko
  • ‘Invocation’: A Poem by D.R. Rainbolt
  • ‘Enjoy the Peace, Prepare for War’: A Poem by Roy E. Peterson
  • Faust Part Two, Act One: ‘A Pleasant Landscape’ by Goethe, Translated by Josh Olson
  • A Song Inspired by Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’, by Gunny Markefka
  • ‘Reappraisals of Mortality’: A Poem by C.B. Anderson
  • ‘What Is the Measure of My Days?’: A Poem by Peter Venable
  • ‘Polar Coordinates’: A Poem by Adam Sedia
  • ‘It Never Lies!’: A Poem by Paul A. Freeman
  • ‘The Mahjong Flowers’: A Set of Sonnets by Margaret Coats
  • ‘The Martyrdom of Saint Cassian’: A Poem by Joseph S. Salemi

Categories

  • Acrostic
  • Alexandroid
  • Alliterative
  • Art
  • Best Poems
  • Blank Verse
  • Chant Royal
  • Classical Poets Live
  • Clerihew
  • Covid-19
  • Deconstructing Communism
  • Educational
  • Epic
  • Epigrams and Proverbs
  • Essays
    • Interviews with Poets
    • Poetry Reviews
  • Featured
  • From the Society
  • Great Poets
    • Dante Alighieri
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Homer
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Robert Frost
    • William Blake
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
  • Human Rights in China
  • Limerick
  • Love Poems
  • Music
  • Pantoum
  • Performing Arts
  • Poetry
    • Beauty
    • Children's Poems
    • Culture
    • Ekphrastic
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Humor
    • Riddles
  • Poetry Challenge
  • Poetry Contests
  • Poetry Forms
    • Curtal Sonnet
    • Haiku
  • Poetry Readings
  • Rhupunt
  • Rondeau
  • Rondeau Redoublé
  • Rondel
  • Rubaiyat
  • Sapphic Verse
  • Satire
  • Science
  • Sestina
  • Shape Poems
  • Short Stories
  • Song Lyrics
  • Sonnet
  • Symposium
  • Terrorism
  • Terza Rima
  • The Environment
  • Translation
  • Triolet
  • Video
  • Villanelle

Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Submit Poetry
  • Become a Member
  • Members List
  • Support the Society
  • Advertisement Placement
  • Comments Policy
  • Terms of Use

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Poems
    • Beauty
    • Culture
    • Satire
    • Humor
    • Children’s
    • Art
    • Ekphrastic
    • Epic
    • Epigrams and Proverbs
    • Human Rights in China
    • Music
    • Performing Arts
    • Riddles
    • Science
    • Song Lyrics
    • The Environment
    • The Raven
    • Found Poems
    • High School Poets
    • Terrorism
    • Covid-19
  • Poetry Forms
    • Sonnet
    • Haiku
    • Limerick
    • Villanelle
    • Rondeau
    • Pantoum
    • Sestina
    • Triolet
    • Acrostic
    • Alexandroid
    • Alliterative
    • Blank Verse
    • Chant Royal
    • Clerihew
    • Rhupunt
    • Rondeau Redoublé
    • Rondel
    • Rubaiyat
    • Sapphic Verse
    • Shape Poems
    • Terza Rima
  • Great Poets
    • Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Emily Dickinson
    • Homer
    • Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
    • Dante Alighieri
    • John Keats
    • John Milton
    • Edgar Allan Poe
    • William Shakespeare
    • William Wordsworth
    • William Blake
    • Robert Frost
  • Love Poems
  • Contests
  • SCP Academy
    • Educational
    • Teaching Classical Poetry—A Guide for Educators
    • Poetry Forms
    • The SCP Journal
    • Books

© 2025 SCP. WebDesign by CODEC Prime.