By: Cedric McClester

A stranger down the block  
Nobody heard of
Dropped two friends of mine
It was ****** ******
And so I ran
To tell their sleeping mothers
Somebody shot their sons
That I called brothers
One mother hollered
Oh God no, why, oh why, oh why
The answer to her question
Will not be forthcoming
But there's gonna be some tears
And lots of muffled drumming
Seems we keep on dying
I wonder if you're hearing
One by one
My friends are slowly disappearing
And all of this killing doesn't make no sense
Far too many brother are now in the past tense

(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

In the morning when we rise
While the sleep's still in our eyes
We praise God for heaven's sake
Because we're healthy and awake
And we still can make amends
For our trespasses and sins
It's high time we recognize
He's the Highest of the Highs
He's the Highest of the Highs
He's the wisest of the wise
And it's time we recognize
His truth is on the rise
Come whatever or what may
He's what gets us through our day
God is with us heaven knows
Through our high times and our lows
But it seems that we forget
Just how much we're in his debt


(c) Copyright 2017, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Blessed are the children Jesus said
But just the other day somewhere I read
Another was abused tortured and misused
The headline bled another child is dead
Suffer little children unto me
Doesn't mean he wanted them to be
Victims in his name because we cannot contain
Hidden demons only we can see
Blessed are the children don't you know
They need lots of care and love to grow
Who among us doesn't think it so
Blessed are the children let them be
They have a right to live like you and me
Why is that so hard for us to see
Blessed are the children let them be


(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Sarah sold her body
So  she could get a fix
Though she died a little
Each time she turned a trick
Then one day she vanished
Into the thin air
Just another missing *******
And no one seemed to care
She was not the only one
Who disappeared that way
There were lots of others
According to what they say
Lost among the missing
But what nobody knew
Was the individual agony
That each of them went through
Think of all the Sarahs
Who slip through the cracks
The ones we rarely hear about
Yet are no less of a fact




(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Terror claimed in Islam's name
Is at best misguided
Because terrorist abandon Islamic understanding
When they make that claim
Despite the Middle East, Islam stands for peace
Suicide and ******'s not condoned
Though some choose to use it
And in so doing abuse it
Thus inventing a religion of their own
Chances are none to slim that a true Muslim
Could ever think the terror is allowed
When there is ample proof of the Qu'ranic truth
What is haram can never be halal


(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I thought about you
Lately you’ve been on my mind
Never dreamed the last time that I saw you
Would be the last time
But life can throw some curve *****
I’ve come to find
Who knew that it would be you
In the casket this time

I only have fond memories
When it comes to you
I admire your capacity
To do the things you do
You always think of others
Instead of you
And when they say you’re special
That’s only because it’s true

I can hear your laughter
How it could fill a room
I remember all the joy you brought
And the smell of your perfume
You would live forever
That’s at least what I assumed
I didn’t think on the Easter weekend
You would meet your doom

I only have fond memories
When it comes to you
I admire your capacity
To do what you do
You always think of others
Instead of you
And when they say you’re special
That’s only because it’s true

If I say that I will miss you
That would understate the case
Because in my heart and mind
You occupy a special place
And my memories of you
Can never be erased

I thought about you
Lately you’ve been on my mind
Never dreamed the last time that I saw you
Would be the last time
But life can throw some curve *****
I’ve come to find
Who knew that it would be you
In the casket this time





(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

This ain’t another American Pie
Where the story’s protagonists happens to die
This is more a question of wondering why
Equal justice in most cases isn’t applied
Every time an unarmed victim is killed by a cop
Whose response to the circumstance is over the top
You can hear as the bullets go pop pop pop
It’s a head scratcher wondering will it ever stop

It’s a head scratcher
Why those headlines staring at cha
Always seems to catch cha
By complete surprise
It’s a mind-******
Why the public’s defender
Always seems to surrender
When it comes to those guys

Some prove the lie
By trying to apply a religion they deny
As the reason why
The innocent must die
‘Cos if they took a look
Their own Holy Book
Condemns the actions that they took
So in hell they’re gonna cook

It’s a head scratcher
Why those headlines staring at cha
Always seems to catch cha
By complete surprise
It’s a mind-******
Why the public’s defender
Always seems to surrender
When it comes to those guys

He’s guilty on all counts
Which logically amounts
If the jurors choose to pounce
To death with no discounts
He deserves to die
And it’s obvious why
If he’s gonna have to fry
It’s too late for him to cry

It’s a head scratcher
Why those headlines staring at cha
Always seems to catch cha
By complete surprise
It’s a mind-******
Why the public’s defender
Always seems to surrender
When it comes to those guys




(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

This ain’t another American Pie
Where the story’s protagonists happens to die
This is more a question of wondering why
Equal justice in most cases isn’t applied
Every time an unarmed victim is killed by a cop
Whose response to the circumstance is over the top
You can hear as the bullets go pop pop pop
It’s a head scratcher wondering will it ever stop

It’s a head scratcher
Why those headlines staring at cha
Always seems to catch cha
By complete surprise
It’s a mind-******
Why the public’s defender
Always seems to surrender
When it comes to those guys

Some prove the lie
By trying to apply a religion they deny
As the reason why
The innocent must die
‘Cos if they took a look
Their own Holy Book
Condemns the actions that they took
So in hell they’re gonna cook

It’s a head scratcher
Why those headlines staring at cha
Always seems to catch cha
By complete surprise
It’s a mind-******
Why the public’s defender
Always seems to surrender
When it comes to those guys

He’s guilty on all counts
Which logically amounts
If the jurors choose to pounce
To death with no discounts
He deserves to die
And it’s obvious why
If he’s gonna have to fry
It’s too late for him to cry

It’s a head scratcher
Why those headlines staring at cha
Always seems to catch cha
By complete surprise
It’s a mind-******
Why the public’s defender
Always seems to surrender
When it comes to those guys

Thanks to the rapper Jay-Z
Who doesn’t want us streaming free
We won’t be able to ya see
If we wanna hear Queen B
Or that girl Rihanna



(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Race is just a subterfuge
That certain people use
To have us at each other’s throats
While keeping us confused
God made us different races
Colors shades and hues
But race shouldn’t really matter
Unless it shapes our views

If race is the big divide
Then someone must have lied
When rationality is applied
The facts can’t be denied

Some promote the view
They're better than me and you
Because of the color of their skin
And they also believe this too
Despite their circumstances
They're the chosen few
When in actuality
None of that is true

If race is the big divide
Then someone must have lied
When rationality is applied
The facts can’t be denied

Who said that you’re better than
Another woman or a man
Based on which of you is tan
Or born with less melanin

If race is the big divide
Then someone must have lied
When rationality is applied
The facts can’t be denied

It’s a diabolical scheme
As strange as that may seem
To keep us all preoccupied
Few get to live their dream
While the rest of us fight
We’re never gonna see the cream
And that’s perfectly alright
By those who rule supreme

If race is the big divide
Then someone must have lied
When rationality is applied
The facts can’t be denied

Race is just a subterfuge
That certain people use
To have us at each other’s throats
While keeping us confused
God made us different races
Colors shades and hues
But race shouldn’t really matter
Unless it shapes our views

If race is the big divide
Then someone must have lied
When rationality is applied
The facts can’t be denied
(Repeat chorus 2xs then fade)



(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

We’re gonna have to answer
For our nation’s past misdeeds
So calls for reparations
To address present needs
Shouldn’t just be dismissed
Totally out of hand
Clearly there’s a debt owed
Is that so hard to understand

We can’t simply wish
The sins of the past away
We’re gonna havta answer
Sooner or later some day

Our history tells the sad tale
Of countless acts of genocide
Look at the indigenous peoples
And how so many of ‘em died
Then there’s the African
Who was forced into slavery
Robbed of all family ties
As well as their dignity

We can’t simply wish
The sins of the past away
We’re gonna havta answer
Sooner or later some day

How can we just pretend
That none of this ever existed
We need to make amends
For those crimes already listed

We can’t simply wish
The sins of the past away
We’re gonna havta answer
Sooner or later some day

Few want to be confronted
With this kind of ugly truth
But history has recorded
All of the needed proof
So the time for reparations
Long has been past due
And if we were to be honest
We’d own up to it too

We can’t simply wish
The sins of the past away
We’re gonna havta answer
Sooner or later some day

How can we just pretend
That none of this ever existed
We need to make amends
For those crimes already listed

We can’t simply wish
The sins of the past away
We’re gonna havta answer
Sooner or later some day

(Outro)
We’re gonna have to answer
For our nation’s past misdeeds
So calls for reparations
To address present needs
Shouldn’t just be dismissed
Totally out of hand
Clearly there’s a debt owed
Is that so hard to understand



(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Some question the pathology
Of embracing Scientology
But they make no apology
For their man made theology
Do you know the chronology
Have you read the anthology
That reveals the cosmology
Or studied their psychology

When you lose sight of everything
That you hold near and dear
And your mind’s a blank slate
And there’s nothing that you fear
And all of life’s mysteries
Are no longer there
Then you’ve reached the mental state
That they call going clear

In order for you to find
How all the planets do align
You must lose your reactive mind
By going clear you’ll be inclined
To put uncertainty behind
The way that it has been defined
Though people will still malign
The Scientology paradigm

When you lose sight of everything
That you hold near and dear
And your mind’s a blank slate
And there’s nothing that you fear
And all of life’s mysteries
Are no longer there
Then you’ve reached the mental state
That they call going clear

People tend to fear the unknown
Like things inside the Twilight Zone
Though exponentially it’s grown
Glass house people still throw stones

The ideas that they mirror
Couldn’t be more clearer
Than the things that they hold dearer
Like currency to the bearer
Or members going clearer
Than Thetans causing terror
Though truth is clear from error

When you lose sight of everything
That you hold near and dear
And your mind’s a blank slate
And there’s nothing that you fear
And all of life’s mysteries
Are no longer there
Then you’ve reached the mental state
That they call going clear

Some question the pathology
Of embracing Scientology
But they make no apology
For their man made theology
Do you know the chronology
Have you read the anthology
That reveals the cosmology
Or studied their psychology




(c) Copyright, Cedric McC lester.   All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I firmly do believe
That all children conceived
No matter what the process
Or related cost is
Are children nonetheless
And it’s dubious at best
To label them synthetic
In fact it’s quite pathetic

If you’re ever gonna
It’s enough to make you wanna
Dolce your Gabbanna
Or shrink ‘em in a saunna

Why take a position
That the family composition
Must be one way or the other
‘Cos a dad can’t be a mother
If a child is reared with love
And receives the guidance of
Two people who are wedded
Or perhaps they’re just embedded

If you’re ever gonna
It’s enough to make you wanna
Dolce your Gabbanna
Or shrink ‘em in a saunna

This thing goes far beyond
Even Elton John
‘Cos every baby born
Ain’t a Capricorn

Why cast aspersions
Or write a letter to the Persians
Because you disagree
You don’t have hegemony
So now you’re in a rut
Because you’ve shown your ****
And it’s a sordid fact
That you cannot take back

This thing goes far beyond
Even Elton John
‘Cos every baby born
Ain’t a Capricorn

If you’re ever gonna
It’s enough to make you wanna
Dolce your Gabbanna
Or shrink ‘em in a saunna



(c) Copyright, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

After I’ve picked up the pieces
Of my broken heart
Long after the sadness ceases
Tell me where do I start
I have no idea because it’s not clear
Where do I go from here

I guess if I had my druthers
I’d forget you
And entertain others
But after having got laid
Their memories would fade
‘Cos it would only be a charade

Where do I go from here
To make the past that we shared disappear
And what can I do to erase
The memory of your lovely face
See I wish I knew what I could do
To accept the fact that we’re through

I wish I was more like you
And I could put it all behind
But that’s something I can’t do
Play those kind of tricks with my mind
Though I’m doin’ my best I must confess
If I didn’t say so I’d be lying

Where do I go from here
To make the past that we shared disappear
And what can I do to erase
The memory of your lovely face
See I wish I knew what I could do
To accept the fact that we’re through

After I’ve picked up the pieces
Of my broken heart
Long after the sadness ceases
Tell me where do I start
I have no idea because it’s not clear
Where do I go from here

Where do I go from here
To make the past that we shared disappear
And what can I do to erase
The memory of your lovely face
See I wish I knew what I could do
To accept the fact that we’re through






(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

They’re the party of wealth
Unconcerned with the health
Of the economy
Relative to you and me
The situation’s getting frantic
Still they’re up to their old antics
Of symbolism ‘n semantics
Symbolism ‘n semantics

The problem is gigantic
In fact it’s transatlantic
His approach is sycophantic
But they are quite pedantic
Is he being too romantic
As they come with their semantics
Their symbolism ‘n semantics
Symbolism ‘n semantics

They’ve tried to pass a bill
Over there up on the hill
But despite the public will
They keep arguing it still
They’re complaining ‘bout the pork
But haven’t put down their fork
So we’ll have to wait
But the hour’s getting late

The problem is gigantic
In fact it’s transatlantic
His approach is sycophantic
But they are quite pedantic
Is he being too romantic
As they come with their semantics
Their symbolism ‘n semantics
Symbolism ‘n semantics

It seems they have a crush
On a pill popper named Rush
Who someone should tell hush
And stop talking so **** much
By hoping that he fails
While we lay on the rails
He’s blowin wind up their sails
So how did he avoid our jails

The problem is gigantic
In fact it’s transatlantic
His approach is sycophantic
But they are quite pedantic
Is he being too romantic
As they come with their semantics
Their symbolism ‘n semantics
Symbolism ‘n semantics

They voted millions down the drain
In a war that was insane
But now hear them complain
Instead of trying to ease our pain
Their politics remains the same
But we made our selection
Where were they the last election
Cos it changed the whole complexion
With a call for redirection

The problem is gigantic
In fact it’s transatlantic
His approach is sycophantic
But they are quite pedantic
Is he being too romantic
As they come with their semantics
Their symbolism ‘n semantics
Symbolism ‘n semantics


(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

We know where the bones are buried
Of all of the deceased
Killed in wars and other carnage
Now that they rest in peace
No good deed will go unpunished
This we know for sure
Karmas always finds a way
Of evening up the score

We know where the bones are buried
Just beneath the surface
So the question we must ask ourselves
Is do our lives have purpose

We don’t care about the planet
That sustains our lives
We take from it like we're bandits
Until the day arrives
When the bill is tabulated
And not one of us survives
Not our sons and daughters
Or our precious pretty wives

We know where the bones are buried
Just beneath the surface
So the question we must ask ourselves
Is do our lives have purpose

Every problem has a solution
From all that I’ve been told
If we dig a little deeper
The answers will unfold

We have only ourselves to blame
For the bloodletting we see
Examine how we’ve lived our lives
And it’s no mystery
That there’s turmoil and confusion
Check out our history
And just to put it succinctly
It’s been quite blistery

We know where the bones are buried
Just beneath the surface
So the question we must ask ourselves
Is do our lives have purpose

We know where the bones are buried
Of all of the deceased
Killed in wars and other carnage
Now that they rest in peace
No good deed will go unpunished
This we know for sure
Karmas always finds a way
Of evening up the score

(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

Tired Of This Conversation
By: Cedric McClester

Another unarmed person is killed
By a cop
It’s usually someone black or brown
Is it not?
It shouldn’t matter what the color
It’s just has to stop
Before another person
Gets choked or shot

Say you’re tired of this conversation
Well so am I
But I don’t wanna see another person
Needlessly die
No matter what the rational
Or the reason why
You can’t bring ‘em back to life
With a tried alibi

No one said a policeman’s job
Isn’t hard
But that’s no reason why we
Have to be on guard
If we’re black or brown
In order to ******
The fact that we’re in fear of them
For a start

Say you’re tired of this conversation
Well so am I
But I don’t wanna see another person
Needlessly die
No matter what the rational
Or the reason why
You can’t bring ‘em back to life
With a tired alibi

You’re tired of this conversation
We are too
But all across this nation
There’s people on the move
Hoping the situation somehow
Will improve
So that we can put the needle
Back in the groove

Say you’re tired of this conversation
Well so am I
But I don’t wanna see another person
Needlessly die
No matter what the rational
Or the reason why
You can’t bring ‘em back to life
With a tired alibi

Grand juries will sit down
But never indict
The perpetrating policemen
And that ain’t right
When they come back with no true bill
That just incites
And moreover it denies
Their civil rights

Say you’re tired of this conversation
Well so am I
But I don’t wanna see another person
Needlessly die
No matter what the rational
Or the reason why
You can’t bring ‘em back to life
With a tired alibi

(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

BY: Cedric McClester

Jurors would be asked to find
Probable cause
But who knows what goes down
Behind closed door
When you discover the man wasn’t
Who you thought he was
And you become victimized
In spite of the **** laws

They’ll blame you (the victim)
As they usually do
Then accuse you of not knowing
What you shoulda knew
When the sad reality
Is that you had no clue
You’d be drugged and date *****
Before you came to

His image is carefully crafted
On the other hand you’re someone
Who would get laughed at
So you keep your silence
Though treated like a door mat
Because he has the power
To make lies a fact
And then dare you to try ‘n react

They’ll blame you (the victim)
As they usually do
Then accuse you of not knowing
What you shoulda knew
When the sad reality
Is that you had no clue
You’d be drugged and date *****
Before you came to

So you wait for years
To get it off of your chest
And when you finally do
You’re vilified nonetheless
As far as they’re concerned
It’s no contest
Ya see he has no conscience
As you might have guessed

As more and more women
Come to the fore
The licentious allegations
Become hard to ignore
Which reveal he’s rotten
Right down to the core
And he’d go to any lengths
To cop or to score

They’ll blame you (the victim)
As they usually do
Then accuse you of not knowing
What you shoulda knew
When the sad reality
Is that you had no clue
You’d be drugged and date *****
Before you came to

Jurors would be asked to find
Probable cause
But who knows what goes down
Behind closed door
When you discover the man wasn’t
Who you thought he was
And you become victimized
In spite of the **** laws

(C) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

She was from Alabama
Had a Southern drawl
And spoke bad grammar
But that’s not all
She also had an asset
That could make a man stammer
In other words Anne
Was a bad mama jamma

Pretty Eddie was a New Yorker
With average looks
He was quite a smooth talker
So he kept the books
For his stable of ladies
Who walked the streets at night
He was in the **** game
And he had it down tight

Anne ‘n Pretty Eddie were quite a pair
But it’s hard to say when
He became aware
There are limits to what you can
Put a woman through
So when Anne finally left him
He was forced to say (who knew?)

She was his bottom lady
And she held him down
But Eddie beat her frequently
Man he’d go to town
And Anne always tolerated
Eddie’s abuse
'Til she finally got fed up
And said what’s the use

Anne ‘n Pretty Eddie were quite a pair
But it’s hard to say when he became aware
There are limits to
What you can put a woman through
So when Anne finally left him
He was forced to say (who knew?)

They say she left Boston
For Baltimore
Where Anne disappeared to
No one could say for sure
It took six months for Eddie
To realize the fact
That his bottom woman Anne
Would not be coming back

Anne ‘n Pretty Eddie were quite a pair
But it’s hard to say when he became aware
There are limits to
What you can put a woman through
So when Anne finally left him
He was forced to say (who knew?)

She was his bottom lady
And she held him down
But Eddie beat her frequently
Man he’d go to town
And Anne always tolerated
Eddie’s abuse
'Til she finally got fed up
And said what’s the use

Anne ‘n Pretty Eddie were quite a pair
But it’s hard to say when he became aware
There are limits to
What you can put a woman through
So when Anne finally left him
He was forced to say (who knew?)


(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Ya know it’s forbidden
And yet you’ve tarried
You’re livin together
But you ain’t married
Why buy the cow
When the milk is for free
Ya know what I’m sayin
Are you listenin to me

A sin is a sin
You can’t wish it away
Morality changes
But what did God say
A sin is a sin
Just like it was then
All I wanna know
Is are you listenin'

Now let’s talk about
This modern day drama
Where is the father
Who slept with the mama
And who’s gonna take
Responsibility
For the family breakdown
We see frequently

A sin is a sin
You can’t wish it away
Morality changes
But what did God say
A sin is a sin
Just like it was then
All I wanna know
Is are you listenin'

A sin is a sin
Like it was before
It won’t go away
Because you ignore
The fact that it is
As it always was
It’s still measured by
What one does

Can we be forgiven
No doubt that we can
But now is the time
To take a stand
If you believe in God
Then follow His word
Over anything else
You might have preferred

A sin is a sin
You can’t wish it away
Morality changes
But what did God say
A sin is a sin
Just like it was then
All I wanna know
Is are you listenin'

A sin is a sin
Like it was before
It won’t go away
Because you ignore
The fact that it is
As it always was
It’s still measured by
What a person does

Thous Shalt not ****
But we’re droppin' like flies
Isn’t it time
That we open our eyes
There is a cost
And a price we must pay
If not right now
It's coming some day

A sin is a sin
You can’t wish it away
Morality changes
But what did God say
A sin is a sin
Just like it was then
All I wanna know
Is are you listenin'

A sin is a sin
Like it was before
It won’t go away
Because you ignore
The fact that it is
As it always was
It’s still measured by
What a person does

A sin is a sin
You can’t wish it away
Morality changes
But what did God say
A sin is a sin
Just like it was then
All I wanna know
Is are you listenin


(c) Copyright, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I’m shooting up
And it’s another year
See I don’t have
No more time to spare
I need to change
My present atmosphere
And find a way
To get outta here

I’m no longer shooting
For the high
I’m tryin to stay well
Is my alibi
If I keep shooting up
I’m gonna die
And ******
Will be the reason why

Thought I could quit
If I tried perhaps
I did alright
Before my last relapse
People places things
All of the usual traps
I rolled a seven
Before I rolled craps

I’m no longer shooting
For the high
I’m tryin to stay well
Is my alibi
If I keep shooting up
I’m gonna die
And ******
Will be the reason why

They call it getting high
But it takes you low
The question is
How low will you go
Which you can’t answer
Because you don’t know
Long as you’re craving
That same afterglow

Every day I’m tryin’
To cop more
******’s a drug
That has a certain lore
So you have to
Shoot more than you did before
To keep those cramps
From knocking at your door

I’m no longer shooting
For the high
I’m tryin to stay well
Is my alibi
If I keep shooting up
I’m gonna die
And ******
Will be the reason why
If I keep shooting up
I’m gonna die
And ******
Will be the reason why

(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Once the love had been rescinded
I don’t think it could be mended
Even though we both pretended
Look at where it actually ended
With us running out of patience
Placing blame then battle stations
Acrimony and accusations
Name-calling and strained relations

You can’t drink
From a broken glass
Nor live your life
In the past
You have to move on
And alas
Accept the color
Once the dye has been cast

For the record I would like to state
That our love had an expiration date
And so it crumbled there’s no debate
Cos there’s a thin line between love and hate
Once that fact had been detected
Though we tried it couldn’t be resurrected
In the ghetto of the love that we erected
Weeds grew where the ground was neglect

You can’t drink
From a broken glass
Nor live your life
In the past
You have to move on
And alas
Accept the color
Once the dye has been cast

What’s the point in seeking answers
All the leaves have fallen off the branches
In the burial ground for failed romances
Lies the graveyard for second chances

It’s pointless for us to try to return
By now you would have thought that we learned
Play with fire and you’ll get burned
You only get out of life what you have earned
So excuse me while I proceed
What we want we don’t always need
The wise ones learn and then take heed
Even though their hearts may bleed

You can’t drink
From a broken glass
Nor live your life
In the past
You have to move on
And alas
Accept the color
Once the dye has been cast




(c) Copyright  2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

BY: Cedric McClester

While the internet entices
Those making sacrifices
For Boco Haram or ISIS
Whose platforms are divisive
Here’s what my advice is
Stop cutting heads in slices
While rolling out the dices
Which makes you not the nicest
Saying it’s all in Islam’s name
When you practice to defame
Every prophet who ever came
You’re only poppin’ game
Cos’ their message was real plain
It’s really not hard to understand
Men can’t do what only God can

There’s only one Khalifah
And his name is ****
He’s the only Khalifah
That I know there is
You can’t build a Khalifate
Solely based on hate
So let me restate
(well here it is)
There’s only one Khalifah
And his name is ****

You have to be mad
Or Michael Jackson bad
To declare world-wide jihad
I find it a tad rad
And it really is quite sad
But you’re making Shaytan glad
He’s got you living at his pad
So never mind Riyadh
Of course Asad’s got your back
Inside of Syria and in Iraq
You’ve made a devil’s pact
I know this for a fact
So as you plan your next attack
What will be your third act
And whose head next you gonna wack

There’s only one Khalifah
And his name is ****
He’s the only Khalifah
That I know there is
You can’t build a Khalifate
Solely based on hate
So let me restate
(well here it is)
There’s only one Khalifah
And his name is ****

Just like Teena said
I’m talking square biz
There’s only one Khalifah
And his name is ****
So you need to tell me now
What the **** gives
With you deciding who dies
Or who the hell lives

Allahu Akbar it’s the final test
As another jihadi with a suicide vest
Blows himself and others up
Like you might have guessed
Hoping for the paradise
That his leaders stressed
His picture will be shrouded
Nevertheless
See he never gave it more
Than just a casual look
So he’s hasn’t read the words
Inside his Holy Book
Which explains why he’s a pawn
Instead of a rook
And an internet suggestion was all it took

There’s only one Khalifah
And his name is ****
He’s the only Khalifah
That I know there is
You can’t build a Khalifate
Solely based on hate
So let me restate
(well here it is)
There’s only one Khalifah
And his name is ****

The ******* Taliban
In Peshawar Pakistan
Had the upper hand
And carried out their plan
To ****** like the ****
Although it’s clearly banned
By several ayats in the Qu’ran
They don’t seem to understand
They’re no fans of education
But how do you build a nation
If your sole vocation
Is suicide and assassination
Now the whole world’s losing patience
With the latest allegations
Wondering what’s their motivations

There’s only one Khalifah
And his name is ****
He’s the only Khalifah
That I know there is
You can’t build a Khalifate
Solely based on hate
So let me restate
(well here it is)
There’s only one Khalifah
And his name is ****

They say that Islam is
The religion of peace
Before they blow themselves up
And the madness doesn’t cease
Like someone just released
A heard of savage beasts
And I’m not just talkin’ ‘bout
In the Middle East
Over in Australia a self-made Imam
Showed us just how much
He didn’t give a ****
By taking hostages at gunpoint
Without a demand
After having had
A thirteen hour news span

There’s only one Khalifah
And his name is ****
He’s the only Khalifah
That I know there is
You can’t build a Khalifate
Only based on hate
So let me restate
(well here it is)
There’s only one Khalifah
And his name is ****

While the internet entices
Those making sacrifices
For Boco Haram or ISIS
Whose platforms are divisive
Here’s what my advice is
Stop cutting heads in slices
While rolling out the dices
Which makes you not the nicest
Saying it’s all in Islam’s name
When you practice to defame
Every prophet who ever came
You’re only poppin’ game
Cos’ their message was real plain
It’s really not hard to understand
Men can’t do what only God can




(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

We’ve seen this movie
Too many times before
Sadly now it’s playing
In Baltimore
Is it arcane police culture
When their nerves are raw
That has us again seeing
What we already saw

This isn’t an indictment
I don’t have the facts
But I do have a question
Why’s it always blacks
Who wind up shot, strangled
Or with broken backs
When the police intervene
Just follow their tracks

Now I’m not saying
All cops are bad
I’m just commenting on
The ones that are rad’
Who bring about outcomes
That usually turn bad
And funeral services
That are always sad

We’ve seen this movie
Too many times before
Sadly now it’s playing
In Baltimore
Is it arcane police culture
When their nerves are raw
That has us again seeing
What we already saw



(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Attention everyone
There’s an international crisis
For the sake of argument
Let’s call it ISIS
To whom my advice is
Stop it follow your Prophet
Peace and blessing be upon him
Why do you scorn him

We have a crisis
Because of ISIS
Who aren’t the nicest
They’re rolling the dices

Under the belief
The world needs a Khalif
They cause nothing but grief
And we all want relief
With God willing
We’ll stop the killing
And their savagery
Which helps us to see

We have a crisis
Because of ISIS
Who aren’t the nicest
They’re rolling the dices

Without a doubt
In time they’ll crap out
Until then they’ll shout
Allahu Akbar so there you are
God is Great
But love will crush hate
Underneath its own weight

We have a crisis
Because of ISIS
Who aren’t the nicest
They’re rolling the dices

They lack
Mercy or compassion
And in their own fashion
They’ve tried to cash in
On their few conquests
But nevertheless
Despite their success
They’re gonna regress

We have a crisis
Because of ISIS
Who aren’t the nicest
They’re rolling the dices

Attention everyone
There’s an international crisis
For the sake of argument
Let’s call it ISIS
To whom my advice is
Stop it follow your Prophet
Peace and blessing be upon him
Why do you scorn him

(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

To the Far Right it’s now midnight
And you will have to choose
Whether to continue saying things
Designed to make the news
What you say has consequences
Some that can be dire
You need to watch your rhetoric
And the things that you inspire

I am not saying you shouldn’t have
The right to free speech
But I’m suggesting you create congestion
When it’s hate you teach

To extremist out there everywhere
We see you on the move
Committing acts of violence
But what does it all prove
You’re not winning hearts or minds
With your barbaric tactics
Perhaps you need to redefine
Your causes and didactics

I’m not saying you shouldn’t have
The right to free speech
But I’m suggesting you create congestion
When it’s hate you teach

We’ve walked away from group-think
It’s not 1984
So we don’t need that kinda paradigm
It’s not useful anymore

Here’s what I say to the NRA
They’re entitled to their point of view
But I’ve heard their tired argument
Guns don’t **** (people do)
And I admit they might be right
But let’s use our common sense
It’s people with access to guns
Who have bullets to dispense

We’ve walked away from group-think
It’s not 1984
So we don’t need that kinda paradigm
It’s not useful anymore

I’m not saying you shouldn’t have
The right to free speech
But I’m suggesting you create congestion
When it’s hate you teach

To the Far Right it’s now midnight
And you will have to choose
Whether to continue saying things
Designed to make the news
What you say has consequences
Some that can be dire
You need to watch your rhetoric
And the things that you inspire



(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

It’s a **** shame
No it’s absurd
How the gentry
Are changing Williamsburg
And if you need
The concrete proof
They’ve raised the rents
Right through the roof

I dream of Williamsburg of old
The one only my memory holds
And it’s for this I shed a tear
The Williamsburg of yesteryear

The indigenous people of course
Were first
In time it became
More ethnically diverse
And then an enclave
For artists and the arts
With dirt cheap rents
In certain parts

I dream of Williamsburg of old
The one only my memory holds
And it’s for this I shed a tear
The Williamsburg of yesteryear

Everything changes with time
Except the memories in the mind
The Williamsburg I knew and loved
Is the Williamsburg I always think of

Artists held a funeral
I here tell
And sounded off
The last death knell
They gave Williamsburg
Their sad goodbyes
And wiped the tears
Away from their eyes

Everything changes with time
Except the memories in the mind
The Williamsburg I knew and loved
Is the Williamsburg I always think of

I dream of Williamsburg of old
The one only my memory holds
And it’s for this I shed a tear
The Williamsburg of yesteryear
I dream of Williamsburg of old
The one only my memory holds
And it’s for this I shed a tear
The Williamsburg of yesteryear
I dream of Williamsburg of old
The one only my memory holds



(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Ya see the actual fact is
At times it’s not attractive
When we’re called to be proactive
Cos the atmosphere’s refractive
As if an insurmountable force
Things have suddenly changed course
And the protagonist has no remorse

Like the bullets a shooter packs
Or a freight train off the tracks
A reactionary reacts
Only to established facts

Don’t cha find it kinda strange
That we still argue climate change
After all those hurricanes
You’d think by now we’d use our brains
We’ve been shaken yet not stirred
Sumthin’ had to have occurred
Though silence is preferred
It should make us say my word

Like the bullets a shooter packs
Or a freight train off the tracks
A reactionary reacts
Only to established facts

And the argument’s been made
By the price already paid
For the groundwork to be laid
So our planet can be saved

And by now I think its clear
Just check out the atmosphere
Global warming would appear
To be already here
So it shouldn’t take much more
For the doubter to be sure
That the ozone layer’s core
Is sumthin we can’t ignore

Like the bullets a shooter packs
Or a freight train off the tracks
A reactionary reacts
Only to established facts

Ya see the actual fact is
At times it’s not attractive
When we’re called to be proactive
Cos the atmosphere’s refractive
As if an insurmountable force
Things have suddenly changed course
And the protagonist has no remorse




(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

It wasn’t fit for livin’ in
But 106 Rivington
Was where musicians got it in
And some of ‘em even began
Where drummers let loose on their drums
A rat tat tat ba-*** *** ***
From all over we would come
To play and hear 'em play their drums

106 Rivington
May not have been worth living in
But was ideal for playin when
We needed space to practice in

Like Birdland sadly it is gone
And sumthin’ ‘bout that feels so wrong
Though memories no doubt live on
And we’ll just have to move along
We can’t complain because it’s done
We all had one hell-of-a-run
Not to mention lots of fun
Here’s to the setting of the sun

Some will lament others will morn
A part of history now is gone
But there will be another dawn
And we will play another song

106 Rivington
May not have been worth living in
But was ideal for playin when
We needed space to practice in

Given the low rent we paid
It was like one big parade
At 106 friendships were made
From the foundations that we laid
But times moves on and so must we
What the future holds we’ll havta see
Guess we’ll just have to let it be
Cos I don’t know so don’t ask me

Some will lament others will morn
A part of history is now gone
But we will play another song
And there will be another dawn

106 Rivington
May not have been worth living in
But was ideal for playin when
We needed space to practice in


(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Cigarettes coffee and my radio
An egg fried over easy
On wheat toast to go
Before I face the morning rush
The fender benders and the crush
Of traffic patterns gone quite bad
And people who appear quite mad

Now you can say what you will
But it takes patience and some skill
To ride the highways of this land
I wonder if you understand

I’m on the road from dawn to dusk
And sometimes there’s the smell of must
Underneath my arms from sweat
But I’m still driving
Ain’t stopped yet
So pardon me if I’m defensive
About the fact I smell offensive

Now you can say what you will
But it takes patience and some skill
To ride the highways of this land
I wonder if you understand

One day I know I’ll pack it in
And talk about places I’ve been
And all the things that I’ve seen
From Seattle to Abilene
But right now I’m on the move
It’s time for me to show and prove

Now you can say what you will
But it takes patience and some skill
To ride the highways of this land
I wonder if you understand


(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Judging by the way you’re living
You may need a new religion
You’re always taking never giving
I think you need a new religion

Ignorance tends to be blind
Some people have to have a sign
Before they have a change of mind
Take the advice that I’m giving
I think you need a new religion

I think you need a new religion
It ain’t all about just you
I think you need a new religion
And I think you know it too

Take a look within your soul
Each new day is one day old
Acquiesce before you’re cold
And if I may be so bold
I think you need a new religion

You’re not deserving of the glory
You should take some inventory
Get defensive and you’ll bore me
This is why I emplore thee
I think you need a new religion

I think you need a new religion
It ain’t all about just you
I think you need a new religion
And I think you know it too

Take a look within your soul
Each new day is one day old
Acquiesce before you’re cold
And if I may be so bold
I think you need a new religion

Judging by the way you’re living
You may need a new religion
You’re always taking never giving
I think you need a new religion


(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

My canvass is a blank piece of paper
So where do I start
See every word I write
Is a work of art
For critics to dissect
That is to take apart
Yet every word I write
Comes from my heart

My canvass isn't filled in
By charcoal or paint
But rather by the words I use
Without restraint
So you will know what it is
Or what it ain't
Before you even think
To lodge a complaint

My canvass is a blank piece of paper
Filled with the written word
Where my thoughts can be profound
Or sometimes absurd
They're carefully jotted down
The way they occurred
In the method and the manner
That I preferred

My canvass isn't filled with
Charcoal or paint
But rather by the words I use
Without restraint
So you will know what it is
Or what it ain't
Before you even think
To lodge a complaint

My canvass is whatever
I want it to be
Filled with the word pictures
I want you to see
Whether or not
You happen to agree
And I submit
It may not be your cup of tea

My canvass isn't filled with
Charcoal or paint
But rather by the words I use
Without restraint
So you will know what it is
Or what it ain't
Before you even think
To lodge a complaint

My canvass is a blank piece of paper
On which I create
Works of art from the words
That I state
At times they are mundane
Sometimes they're even great
And it's always my hope
That you can relate

My canvass isn't filled with
Charcoal or paint
But rather by the words I use
Without restraint
So you will know what it is
Or what it ain't
Before you even think
To lodge a complaint


(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester.

Death is coming
But I can't tell you when
I don't have his itinerary
So why should I pretend
To know his schedule
It's not like he's a friend
He's unwanted visitor
Who signifies the end

Death is coming
He's knockin' at my door
But I'll resist him
Until I can't no more
Every new year
What I know for sure
Is  he's one year closer to me
Than he was before

Death is coming
Every day since I was born
He draws ever nearer
Like an approaching dawn
The time's not certain
Until the time is gone
Then all that's left behind
Are loved ones who will morn

Death is coming
He's knockin' at the door
But I'll resist him
Until I can't no more
Every new year
What I know for sure
Is he's one year closer to me
Than he was before

So do what you can
With the time that you have now
Tomorrow isn't promised
To you anyhow
Do an act of kindness
Greet someone with a smile
Cos' we'll all be leaving here
In a little while

At times like most
I guess I do pretend
This life that I'm living
Is never gonna end
But in truth in fact
It's nothing but pure spin
Cos Death is coming
He;s just around the bend

Death is coming
He's knockin' at my door
But I'll resist him
Until I can't no more
Every new year
What I know for sure
Is he's one year closer to me
Than he was before

Death is coming
But I can't tell you when
I don't have his itinerary
So why should I pretend
To know his schedule
It's not like he's a friend
He's unwanted visitor
Who signifies the end



(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I see people
Wrapped up in sheets
And wonder why
They’re out on the streets
In a country so great
This scene repeats
Too many times
There’s enough food to eat

Still people go hungry
All over this land
And it’s mostly children
As I understand
When will the supply
Match the demand
Minus the excuses
See I know it can

God bless America
But tell me what for
In this land of plenty
Why do we ignore
The ones without any
Namely the poor
While givin the rich
Tax breaks and more

Those guilty of excess
Now want to conserve
But is this the government
We truly deserve
If you’re aking me
They have some nerve
Cos is it the people
Or themselves that they serve

God bless America
But tell me what for
In this land of plenty
Why do we ignore
The ones without any
Namely the poor
While givin’ the rich
Tax breaks and more

I see people
Wrapped up in sheets
And wonder why
They’re out on the streets
In a country so great
This scene repeats
Too many times
There’s enough food to eat

God bless America
But tell me what for
In this land of plenty
Why do we ignore
The ones without any
Namely the poor
While givin’ the rich
Tax breaks and more



(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.   All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

It’s a divide
A social division
And we’re gonna have to
Make a decision
What do we value more
People or profits
Greed is like ******
It’s hard to get off it

It’s a divide
A social division
And the greed mongers
Are on a mission
They could care less
About you or I
If they had their way
We’d fall off or die

It’s a divide
A social division
Will morality win
Over ambition
Or could that be
Mere hoping and wishin’
That things were different
You better listen - coz

It’s a divide
A social division
And the greed mongers
Are on a mission
They could care less
About you or I
If they had their way
We’d fall off or die

You see it’s a battle
For our heart and soul
So when will our values
Begin to take hold
Or am I mistaken
And all that is old
Because our warm hearts
Are suddenly cold

It’s a divide
A social division
And the greed mongers
Are on a mission
They could care less
About you or I
If they had their way
We’d fall off or die

It’s a divide
A social division
And we’re gonna have to
Make a decision
What do we value more
People or profits
Greed is like ******
It’s hard to get off it


(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Who was she to me?
She was Miss Ruby Dee
An actress/activist you see
Who used celebrity
To try to make us free
Who was she to me
More than the eye can see
She was Miss Ruby Dee

Who was she to me?
She was Miss Ruby Dee
Although to her family
Daughter sister mother
Wife like no other
Loving caring daring
Not adverse to sharing
Never overbearing

Who was she to me?
She was Miss Ruby Dee
Who spent many sleepless nights
Engaged in civil rights
Upon which she insisted
Even when blacklisted
Seeking human improvement
While wedded to the movement

Who was she to me?
She was Miss Ruby Dee
Part of our history
She leaves a legacy
That’s there for all to see
She lived a life well spent
Because she was not content
To sit at home and relent

Who was she to me?
She was Miss Ruby Dee
Who’s at rest finally
And that’s how it should be
So none of us should ponder
Because she’s gone up yonder
In full accord
And in the hands of her precious Lord


(c0 Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

You say that God's a trinity,
So why aren't you convincing me?
If what you say is truth,
Then please show me your proof
Where in the Bible does it say,
He's three-in-one anyway,
That equation can't be done,
Cause three cannot go into one
I'm not tryin to pick a fight,
I'm tryin to set the record right
If He's father, son and holy ghost,
Which of the three is senior most
Can you tell me who's in charge?
And whose ego needs a massage,
It's a lie that you've been told,
Cos surely one would take control,
See God is free of what you claim,
He's only one in fact and name


(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Is there anything left
After our death
Or is death the end
Of our existence
Does anyone know
Where we might go
Perhaps you can lend
Some assistance

Where do we go
After our death
It’s a question
For the ages
Does life go on
After we’re gone
Is it laid out in different stages

Is there anything left
After our death
As many feel is the case
When we leave here
Do we go anywhere
And if so (where is that place)
So if you choose to share
Tell me have you been there

Where do we go
After our death
It’s a question
For the ages
Does life go on
After we’re gone
Is it laid out in different stages

Those who’ve gone on
Never returned
Is there a lesson
In that to be learned
The dead won’t confide
About the other side
As if it were stamped
Information denied

Is there anything left
After our death
The question still remains
Under any contexts
What will come next
That mere reason explains
Like heaven or hell
How can you tell

Where do we go
After our death
It’s a question
For the ages
Does life go on
After we’re gone
Is it laid out in different stages



(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I’ve heard believers often state
In the name of religion God is great
While they produce nothing but hate
Which serves to encourage the debate
If they valued what they had
How come they always seem so mad

In the name of religion the things we do
Whether we’re Christian Muslim or Jew
Are the kind of things we should eschew
Those things we’re all taught not to do

I’ve seen some folks who proselytize
And wear religion like a disguise
But before too long you realize
They’re people that you should despise
For what they do not what they say
Cos they’re just hypocrites anyway

In the name of religion the things we do
Whether we’re Christian Muslim or Jew
Are the kind of thing we should eschew
Those things we’re all taught not to do

Some say religion should be abolished
Based on what is common knowledge
So few practice what they preach
Or truly believe the things they teach

And most religions seems convinced
That only theirs makes perfect sense
And sometimes that can be intense
When they’re not open and so hence
They require submission upon demand
But reject your beliefs out of hand



(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved

By: Cedric McClester

Words have meaning (oh yes they do)
But some of us act like that isn’t true
Out of our own mouths we degrade ourselves
And call it a term of endearment
But that’s hoping and wishing
That the definition no longer means what it meant
Isn’t it strange that nothing has changed
Except the user’s intent

Ain’t it absurd people died for a word
That we openly use today
It never occurred that to be referred to
As sub-human is not okay
A term of affection (or misdirection)
Which do you think is in play
When you use that word that is so often heard
Out of young mouths today

Who can deny (or try to justify)
The use of a term born from hate
Open your eyes your wherefores and whys
Aren’t creditable things to debate
Too many fatalities come from the realities
Of the words that we state
We have to change course by influence or force
Cos the hour is getting late

Ain’t it absurd people died for a word
That we openly use today
It never occurred that to be referred to
As sub-human is not okay
A term of affection (or misdirection)
Which do you think is in play
When you use that word that is so often heard
Out of young mouths today

Why do you figure Jay-z became Jigger
And gave up his first claim to fame
It was his ambition to defy definition
Besides that wasn’t his name
It was a non-starter for Mr. Shawn Carter
That he wasn’t willing to barter

Ain’t it absurd people died for a word
That we openly use today
It never occurred that to be referred to
As sub-human is not okay
A term of affection (or misdirection)
Which do you think is in play
When you use that word that is so often heard
Out of young mouths today

So let us aspire to (remove or retire)
A term that we’ve come to abuse
I swear I’m no liar we can aim higher
Than some of the words that we use
Let’s give conscious thought to the thing we had ought
Not to do that we can refuse
It an offense that doesn’t make sense
And we’ve already paid the dues

Ain’t it absurd people died for a word
That we openly use today
It never occurred that to be referred to
As sub-human is not okay
A term of affection (or misdirection)
Which do you think is in play
When you use that word that is so often heard
Out of young mouths today

Words have meaning (oh yes they do)
But some of us act like that isn’t true
Out of our own mouths we degrade ourselves
And call it a term of endearment
But that’s hoping and wishing
That the definition no longer means what it meant
Isn’t it strange that nothing has changed
Except the user’s intent

(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Besides that Mrs. Lincoln
How’d you like the play
The third act was something
Most people say
It was a laugh a minute
Before that dastardly display
By John Wilkes Booth
Who came to ruined the day

Besides that Mrs. Lincoln
How’d you like the play
If you had to review it
What would you say
Would you give it four stars
Or something in between
We’re all wonderin’
If you know what I mean

Besides that Mrs. Lincoln
How’d you like the play
Before it got cut short
In a terrible way
Too bad you and Mr. Lincoln
Didn’t get to stay
In your seats before
The ambulance took him away

Besides that Mrs. Lincoln
How’d you like the play
If you had to review it
What would you say
Would you give it four stars
Or something in between
We’re all wonderin’
If you know what I mean

John’s an old scene stealer
From way, way back
But killing the President’s
Wasn’t part of the act
Before jumping on stage
As a matter of fact
Then limping off
In the darkness he’s such a hack

It was a sad circumstance
Yes indeed
When you consider all the people
That Mr. Lincoln freed
It’s really to bad that a plot
Could succeed
Against such a man
Now we all need to take heed

Besides that Mrs. Lincoln
How’d you like the play
If you had to review it
What would you say
Would you give it four stars
Or something in between
We’re all wonderin’
If you know what I mean

(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Starships journey into space
Caught up in a desperate race
But are they going anyplace
Or is that just the way it seems
Like our realistic dreams (questions)

Business man makes a killing
Because his ego needs fulfilling
Investors losing quite unwilling
Is that the nature of the game
Or will we have the same (questions)

Lovers meet then break away
Different partners different day
It really is a shame they say
But does it have to be
And when will we be free of (questions)

A child’s conceived by accident
After the ecstasy is spent
Wonder where the loving went
Now that the baby’s born
And must we still go on with (questions)

Good people dying every day
The bad ones seem destined to stay
Maybe that’s the price they pay
A life that’s full of pain
Still that does not explain the (questions)



(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved/

By: Cedric McClester

Our brief affair
Became a long-term romance
When me and *******
Decided to dance
I thought we were a perfect fit
I was in love and feelin’ it

Most of the time that she was with me
It was pure pleasure and ecstasy
But the truth also can’t be denied
Cos I got to see her other side

Others were smitten by her charms
They fell in love
While trapped in her arms
And it became harder
For them to break free
Cos they got caught up
Very much like me

Most of the time that she was with me
It was pure pleasure and ecstasy
But the truth also can’t be denied
Cos I got to see her other side

She used to give me such a big charge
Until I found out
It was just a mirage
That I came to hate
All that I used to anticipate

I saw the handwriting on the wall
Sayin’ I was about to take a big fall
So I had to get off of the ride
While I had the presence of mind
To decide

Our brief affair
Became a long-term romance
When me and ******* decided to dance
I thought we were a perfect fit
I was in love and feelin’ it



(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester,  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I’m lookin’ for a place to belong
Where I’m not judged
And people get along
Where differences don’t matter
Am I wrong
To want to find a place to belong

I’m lookin’ for a place to fit in
Where even losers
Sometimes tend to win
So forgive me
If I say it once again
I’m lookin’ for a place to fit in

I’m lookin’ for a place to belong
Where the weak aren’t victimized
By the strong
And the meek aren’t trampled on
By the throng
I’m lookin’ for a place to belong

I’m lookin’ for a place to fit in
Where even losers
Sometimes tend to win
So forgive me  
If I say it once again
I’m lookin’ for a place to fit in

Now this may strike some as
A hopeless dream
If you can’t make the cut
Or the team
But it don’t matter
How bad it may seem
Never give up
Hold on to your dream

I’m lookin’ for a place to fit in
Where even losers sometimes
Tend to win
So forgive me
If I say it once again
I’m lookin’ for a place to fit i

I’m lookin’ for a place  to belong
Where I’m not judged
And people get along
Where differences don’t matter
Am I wrong
To want to find a place to belong



(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester,  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

The days of servile darkies
Pickin’ cotton from a field
With its underlyin’ racism
Has cache and appeal
For some Lilliputian minds
If we’re gonna keep it real
So they keep questionin him
Like we don’t know the deal

Been there done that before
We had the right to vote
Some would like to take us back
Or hang us from a rope
If it’s not based on race then what is it
That keeps the birthers goin’
They make it up from whole cloth
And yet their lies keep growin’

They’re good at spreadin’ vermin
And their own insanity
But who are they to determine
Our humanity
If by chance they really think
They can turn time back
Cap’n that ain’t hapnin
And that’s simply is a fact

Cap’n that ain’t hapnin
Cap’n that ain’t hapnin

The whole world’s lookin at us
Wondrin’ what’s the problem
We used to take on challenges
And find a way to solve ‘em
But racism seems so ingrained
That it remains a problem
And sayin’ that is not the case
In no way will absolve ‘em

They’re good at spreadin’ vermin
And their own insanity
But who are they to determine
Our humanity
If by chance they really think
They can turn time back
Cap’n that ain’t hapnin
And that’s simply is a fact

Cap’n that ain’t hapnin
Cap’n that ain’t hapnin

The days of servile darkies
Pickin’ cotton from a field
With its underlyin’ racism
Has cache and appeal
For some Lilliputian minds
If we’re gonna keep it real
So they keep questionin' him
Like we don’t know the deal



(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

He put on his camouflage hat
And proceeded to load his gun
See he wasn’t going out hunting
He just wanted to **** someone
So he headed for the doctor’s church
In order to get the job done
You might say that he was a fanatic
He wasn’t listenin’ to anyone

He called himself a Christian soldier
Who was going off to war
Against those abortionist murderers
He had to even up the score

He entered the church enraged
Saw the doctor praying in a pew
Then quickly unloaded his gun
And shot the man before he knew
Afterwards he calmly surrendered
Having taken pride in the task
And he’d do it all over again
If anyone cared to ask

He called himself a Christian soldier
Who was going off to war
Against those abortionist murderers
He had to even up the score

See he didn’t like the idea
Of young lives being aborted
And he vowed to do all in his power
To ensure that their efforts were thwarted

He called himself a Christian soldier
Who was going off to war
Against those abortionist murderers
He had to even up the score

He was at every protest march
Glued the locks shut at the clinics
And he would have blown ‘em all up
Even with the people still in it
They didn’t have the right to choose
According to his narrow point of view
Women had to pay their dues
Or he’d get them on the evening news

See he didn’t like the idea
Of young lives being aborted
And he vowed to do all in his power
To ensure that their efforts were thwarted

He called himself a Christian soldier
Who was going off to war
Against those abortionist murderers
He had to even up the score

He put on his camouflage hat
And proceeded to load his gun
See he wasn’t going out hunting
He just wanted to **** someone
So he headed for the doctor’s church
In order to get the job done
You might say that he was a fanatic
He wasn’t listenin’ to anyone




(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Abdul and the pirates
Often used to boast
How they had impunity
Along the Somalian coast
Taking ships whenever
The opportunity appeared
Holding them for ransom
So the ***** could be shared

Then the Maersk Alabama
Came into the sight
Of Abdul and the pirates
Quite to their delight
So they came aboard
Making their demands
But the unarmed Maersk crew
Took it from their hands

Abdul and the pirates
Had no idea at all
That they would be the ones
Eventually who would fall

So they took the captain
Who had volunteered
To become their hostage
As towards home they steered
Hoping they could reach
The Somalian shore
Where they would be successful
In demanding much much more

Abdul and the pirates
Had no idea at all
That they would be the ones
Eventually who would fall

A team of Navy snipers
Were quietly on the case
Looking for a target
When the order was in place
Abdul and the Pirates
Unwillingly complied
And that perhaps explains
Why it is they died

Abdul and the pirates
Had no idea at all
That they would be the ones
Eventually who would fall

So they took the captain
Who had volunteered
To become their hostage
As towards home they steered
Hoping they could reach
The Somalian shore
Where they would be successful
In demanding much much more

Abdul and the pirates
Had no idea at all
That they would be the ones
Evenually who would fall

Abdul and the Pirate
Aren’t around to boast
How they had impunity
Along the Somalian coast
Quite unfortunately for them
They’ve become burnt toast

(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I can’t say for certain
What might have been
But I think about it
Every now and then
Cos no one ever got
Underneath my skin
The way you did
So I can’t pretend

You know that you had me
Totally sprung
When you French kissed me
With your tongue
My brain got scramnled
Like egg fu yung
And I loved the way
How it was done

I got caught up
In your spider’s web
I gave you my love
For your pretense instead
I think you’d agree
With everything I said
Though that was long ago
So why wake up the dead

You know that you had me
Totally sprung
When you French kissed me
With your tongue
My brain got scramnled
Like egg fu yung
And I loved the way
How it was done

It’s my fault
I guess you could say
So why did I
Bring it up anyway
Certain things die
While the memories stay
How could I forget you
Anyhow anyway

You know that you had me
Totally sprung
When you French kissed me
With your tongue
My brain got scramnled
Like egg fu yung
And I loved the way
How it was done

I can’t say for certain
What might have been
But I think about it
Every now and then
Cos no one ever got
Underneath my skin
The way you did
So I can’t pretend

(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Twenty- seven years
In a prison cell
Like Dante’s Infernal
A version of hell
All he wanted was freedom
For his native land
Where because of apartheid
Things had gotten out of hand

This is a song for Nelson
Who changed everything
A song for Nelson
Is the song that I sing

There on Robben Island
Where he would be still
If not for his courage
And his indomitable will
He led a movement
That endured and prevailed
Even from a prison cell
Locked away in jail

This is a song for Nelson
Who changed everything
A song for Nelson
Is the song that I sing

To say he was transformative
Understates the case
A man for the ages would be better
In its place
He changed a people’s destiny
Saw apartheid get erased
As the father of his country
His name has been encased

This is a song for Nelson
Who changed everything
A song for Nelson
Is the song that I sing

In 1964 an indictment was lodged
Against Nelson Mandela
Accused of sabotage
Which he never denied
Or tried to camouflage
The truth of the matter is
He was guilty by and large
And locked away until he was discharged

This is a song for Nelson
Who changed everything
A song for Nelson
Is the song that I sing

Twenty- seven years
In a prison cell
Like Dante’s Infernal
A version of hell
All he wanted was freedom
For his native land
Where because of apartheid
Things had gotten out of hand

This is a song for Nelson
Who changed everything
A song for Nelson
Is the song that I sing










(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester,  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Billy's at the bar
Sippin on his Bud
Watching two young lovelies
Wrestling in the mud
Everybody says
He's a classic fool
But ain't nobody yet
Did better in high school

Sarah was his lady
According to what I heard
But they broke up a while ago
At least that is the word
He now spends his time
Tryin to be a cad
And we all sympathize
Cos Billy's got it bad

Billy's got it bad
And everybody knows
What he feels inside
It's so obvious it shows

Life goes on for Sarah
She hardly missed a beat
She's lookin straight ahead
Not down at her feet
Billy ain't the only fish
Out there in the sea
And she knows in time
He'll be a passing memory

She's got other things
Runnin through her head
What she had with Billy
Is over now it's dead
It ain't all about
Tryin to place the blame
Or spendin time wonderin
Who smothered the flame

Billy's got it bad
And everybody knows
What he feels inside
It's so obvious it shows

So Billy takes his Bud
And swallows down the foam
In a crowd of people
He feels all alone
Thinkin 'bout his Sarah
And wonderin if she too
Ever thinks about him
Or gets a little blue

Though Billy tells folks
That everything's okay
Ain't nobody buyin
At least they're not today
It really doesn't matter
What he has to say
Nothin's been the same
Since Sarah went away

Cos Billy's got it bad
And everybody knows
What he feels inside
It's so obvious it shows



(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Though it may not appear
That you are what they fear
And it may not seem
Like it’s low self-esteem
Look a little closer
And you’ll often find
That’s what’s behind
A hate-filled mind

They try to act superior
While feelin’ quite inferior
Ya don’t havta state it if it’s a fact
They’re only projecting what they feel they lack
Look a little closer
And you’ll often find
That’s what’s behind
A hate-filled mind

They’re just frightened people
That’s all that they are
Yet that doesn’t stop ‘em
From baring the scar
Of their hate-filled actions
Fueled by their bigotry
Although frightened people
Is what they well may be

Hateful actions and the rhetoric
Of a minor few who are clearly sick
Permeates the atmosphere
You can find it everywhere
But look a little closer
And see if you find
That you might well have
A hate-filled mind

(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved