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

By: Cedric McClester

To be fair
And I might say, perfectly clear
It his paradigm to prepare
Jeb Bush is quite aware
Of the tortoise and the hare
Despite fits and starts and a scare
He’s convinced that he’ll be there
And his victory is close it’s near

His burden was a ton
But when it’s all said and done
He’ll be the only one
Basking in the sun
Counting all his mon’
Happy to have run
Declared the favorite son
It didn’t take a Gatling gun

Jeb’s been
Mild mannered And meek
Going after What he seeks
Though it took a while to peak
It didn’t mean the man was weak
He’ll be dancing cheek to cheek
Showing off his new technique
A risen star so to speak

Now some might say
He’s dreaming
At least that’s how it’s seeming
But he’s plotting and he’s scheming
Quietly instead of screaming
See his future’s bright and gleaming
And he cannot help but beaming
At the others futile scheming
















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Madame kept
An exclusive list
Of well-heeled clients
None were missed
She held the power
In her fist
In case she was called on
To reminisce

Now she’s gone
By suicide
When the scales of justice
Were applied
Having been found guilty
She couldn’t hide
The myriad of crimes
She had denied

Her lawyer’s listing
Those who came
Even mentioning
Them by name
To expose
And to shame
Them publicly
Just to defame

Past clients are nervous
No doubt
That they might soon
Be found out
It doesn’t matter
If they have clout
Once their name
Gets bandied about

Her lawyer’s listing
Those who came
Even mentioning
Them by name
To expose
And to shame
Them publicly
Just to defame

Madame kept
An exclusive list
Of well-heeled clients
None were missed
She held the power
In her fist
In case she was called on
To reminisce

By: Cedric McClester

His skin is orange
And he’s a cancer
Now all of a sudden
He’s the answer?
Republicans are
Such agile dancers
But I guess they’ve decided
To take their chances

Who hired the butler
That’s spewing hate?
See he and the orange man
Truly can relate
Although he’s disavowed him
Cause he’s trying to skate
Like we won’t insist
That he takes the weight

We’ve now discovered
He did his own PR
Because that lying *******
Takes things that far
But he denies it
To avoid the scar
President of the United States
Will he get that far?

The American people
Will have to decide
Do they want a chump
Who lives to divide
When he’s on the stump
He does nothing but glide
Because no plan of action
Has he ever supplied







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  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

A love affair
That had gone bad
Drove the man
Stark raving mad
So he went hunting
And in tandem
Killed a man
He found by random

So I don’t know
Where to begin
Other than to hope
He turns himself in
So justice can
Determine where or when
Or whether his life
Should be brought to an end

The man he killed
And then uploaded
Onto Facebook
Never goaded
Him into taking
His precious life
Away from his children
And his wife

Mercy me
What’s the world coming to
When we see
Someone out the blue
Blown away
Before he even knew
Because somebody else
Had a missing *****








Cedric McCleste, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Despite the anti-cop chatter
All lives matter
He only wanted some gas
But his last breath came fast
Because up from behind
He was shot in the blind
Executed in cold blood
His body fell with a thud

Black lives matter - true
But so did his too
No one deserves to die
Without a good reason why
Because it’s not fair
Regardless of what they wear
A uniform’s no reason
To declare it’s open season

Let’s pull out all stops
To get rid of bad cops
The situation’s so sad
Because most cops aren’t bad
Although even a rotten few
Shouldn’t be an invitation to
**** everyone
For what of few have done

Whether the former or the latter
All lives do matter
I understand the necessity
For the movements we see
But we shouldn’t be reckless
And lose our perspective
Just like me and you
They have a right to live too

Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Holy Mother Mary
What is goin' on
We still celebrate
The day your son was born
But now they’re tellin us
That we must worship you
Can you tell me please
While I’m on my knees
What am I to do

Holy Mother Mary
Blessed is the womb
That bore your holy son
But now must we assume
That you’re the holy one
Prophesized to come
Can you tell me please
While I’m on my knees
What am I to do

Holy Mother Mary
Please enlighten me
I don’t understand
I’m a Jesus fan
How can this all be
Should I worship thee

Holy Mother Mary
Tell me what da deal
To me you’re really real
But even so I feel
To change you overnight
Just wouldn’t be right
Can you tell me please
While I’m on my knees
What am I to do

Holy Mother Mary
Please enlighten me
I don’t understand
I’m a Jesus fan
How can this all be
Should I worship thee

Holy Mother Mary
What is goin' on
We still celebrate
The day your son was born
But now they’re tellin us
That we must worship you
Can you tell me please
While I’m on my knees
What am I to do

Holy Mother Mary
Blessed is the womb
That bore your holy son
But now must we assume
That you’re the holy one
Prophesized to come
Can you tell me please
While I’m on my knees
What am I to do


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

By: Cedric McClester

Call it a reflection
On how I feel for you
I don’t wear protection
You know how I do
Foolish as that may be
When I’m deep inside
I don’t wanna pull out
And seldom have I tried

Ya see the consequences
Rarely come to mind
And maybe that explains
Why you’ll also find
I don’t think I’m ready
For instant fatherhood
Even though I say I am
I question if I should

When you bring me to the point
My face looks like I’m prayin
Don’t hold me responsible
For the things that I be sayin
In the heat of the moment
I might ask you to have my baby
But if that were to happen
I’d want you to save me

That says more about me
Than it does about you
But if you had a baby
I don’t know what I'd do
I don’t think I’m ready
For that responsibility
And if that were to happen
I don’t know what you would see

When you bring me to the point
My face looks like I’m prayin
Don’t hold me responsible
For the things that I be sayin
In the heat of the moment
I might ask you to have my baby
But if that were to happen
I’d want you to save me

Ya see the consequences
Rarely come to mind
And maybe that explains
Why you’ll also find
I don’t think I’m ready
For instant fatherhood
Even though I say I am
I question if I should



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

By: Cedric McClester

Yeeus you’re not Jesus
Or show us a miracle
With evidence empirical
Not music-based or lyrical
Show us you’re the answer
Nature’s true advancer
Not a popinjay or dancer
Give us a cure for cancer

Yeesus you think a lot
Of yourself
Are you The One
Or is it someone else
Son of Donda not of God
No one calls you the Lord
Don’t you try to run that fraud
Or no one ever will applaud

Yeesus? let me take a guess
Aren’t you Mr. Kanye West
Nothing more or nothing less
Just Porgy to Kimberly’s Bess
Even though you think you ougtta
You walk on air not on water
You’re no giant
You're so much shorter

Yeesus you haven’t been
Crucified
You just think you have
But that’s false pride
You make good music
And you entertain
But you don’t have
Einstein’s brain

Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2915.  All rights reservd.

By: Cedric McClester

If black lives really matter
How come black blood
Constantly splatters
In places like Chicago
And Baltimore
Or Boston, Mass
I’ve been keeping score
So you know I could name a whole lot more

If black lives really matter
Let’s not solely focus on the police
It’s not their bullets
That disturb our peace
We’re our own worst enemies
To say the least
So let’s keep the focus on us
If we want the killing to cease

If black lives really matter
How come blacks find it so easy to take a black life
And black communities are getting sadder
Because internecine warfare is rife
Some myths we need to shatter
Or cut them out with a knife
So we can stop the idle chatter
And deal with the stress and strife

If black lives really matter
Then take a panoramic view
It’s worst - in fact it’s badder
Than we even knew
We’ve fallen off Jacob’s ladder
And you know that’s true
So I’m not about to flatter
Those who don’t have a clue














Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Now that they
Both are buried
You can Twitter
If you choose
Just so
You can reclaim
Your usual place
Inside the news

The same ones
You refer to
As untruthful
And as fake
Are the very
Institutions
You try your best
To break

Even
Our democracy
You’ve tried
To take down
With lies
And deceptions
That you
Spread around

No collusion
We’ve heard
You say
Almost
Every single day
Makes us wonder
What’s the deal
If it’s fake or is it real









Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2018. All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Class is in
Know what I mean
For **** stars
And he’s the Deen
Even he
Can be obscene
When he doesn’t
Keep it clean

He’s been known
To have his way
With **** actresses
They say
Even those
Who say nay
Are ignored
Like it’s okay

People gather
Far and near
There’s a lesson
For you to hear
And I’m being
Quite sincere
Because I want to
Make it clear

If they put up
A fight
That should have given
Him insight
Enough to know
It wasn’t right
To take advantage
Of their plight







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

They’re not contenders
Except in their own eyes
They should drop out
And they would were they wise
But they keep telling
Themselves the same lies
They get A for effort
But God knows they try

Meanwhile the guy
At the top of the ticket
Likes being in the mud
Cuz he likes the thicket
Some think he’s the devil
Because he’s so wicked
But he’s never been
Good as Wilson Pickett

Then there’s the guy
With the lean hungry look
He’s a snake in the grass
But he’s done what it took
Yet nevertheless he’s still
Getting shook
And pretty soon they’ll be
Closing his book

Although the governor
Is a reasonable guy
He’s always at the bottom
And that is no lie
But he remains in the race
Though the question is why
He’ll never be president
Which no one denies








Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

Cedric McClester

You have to wonder
What does it take
For them not to repeat
Someone else’s mistake
When there’s no one to tell ‘em
To apply the brake
They proceed full speed
Then crash in the lake

Unfortunately
You can never be sure
Whether you’re talking to shadows
Or them anymore
‘Cos they tend to repeat
Lessons from before
While riding the wave
There’s a lot they ignore

You’re talking to shadows
There’s no substance there
And you have to wonder
Why do you care
But you have something
A message to share
Go ahead and enjoy it
But also be ware

Unfortunately
You can never be sure
Whether you’re talking to shadows
Or them anymore
‘Cos they tend to repeat
Lessons from before
While riding the wave
There’s a lot they ignore

You’re talking to shadows
Who don’t have a clue
Of the road ahead
Though you wish they knew
What to avoid
Or what to review
So they don’t wind up
The same as you

I’m talking in earnest
Is your future bright
If you haven’t learned
To read on sight
Handwriting on the wall
As you’re taking flight
So as not to walk gently
Into that good night

Unfortunately
You can never be sure
Whether you’re talking to shadows
Or them anymore
‘Cos they tend to repeat
Lessons from before
While riding the wave
There’s a lot they ignore

You’re talking to shadows
There’s no substance there
And you have to wonder
Why do you care
But you have something
A message to share
Go ahead and enjoy it
But also be aware










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

By: Cedric McClester

You’re a Jesus freak
That’s just Jesus speak
But what do you do
For the poor or weak
Do you do unto them
As you’d want done
If you were in their place
Can you answer that huh?

You know the Bible
Front and back
But we’d never know it
By the way you act
You wanna take away
Everything in fact
You’re anti Latino
And you hate the blacks

You walk around
With your chest stuck out
Telling us you’re saved
Or just about
Your actions place all of that
In serious doubt
You’re not what you profess
Haven’t you figured that out

Your Christian credentials
Are supposed to be in order
But you wanna build a fence
All along the southern border
And throw eleven million people
Out of here on their ***
Whether or not they’re law-abiding
You don’t even ask

Stop your proselytizing
That’s just gibberish
You’re determined not to grant
Their ardent wish
Give ‘em something to eat
Or teach ‘em how to fish
You won’t get their vote
Or have you thought of this










Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Where are we going
As a nation
It’s time we had
That conversation
Cuz rapidly
I’m losing patience
With our divisions
And separations

Some would like
Their country back
Like it went somewhere
As a matter of fact
Is it being said
To make us react?
Has their hegemony
Somehow been jacked

There are certain people
Who profess free speech
And when others object
It’s violence they teach
And pay the legal bills
For those who overreach
By letting go of
Their inner savage beast

United we stand
And divided we fall
This is being directed
To all of y’all
Who haven’t given it
A single thought
Armageddon can be
The karma we wrought







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  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

They promises us
A chicken in every ***
By telling us things
That are not
Worth a bucket
Of warm snot
I’m sick of them
The whole lot

Simply put
Snake oil salesmen
Will say anything
Just to win
But they’re short
On the deliverable end
Despite the messages
That they send

Promise us anything
But give us Arpege
They embrace issues
That have a wedge
Sometimes their bets
They try to hedge
Before they take us
Over the ledge

Snake oil salesmen
What can I say?
Sell the same ****
Day after day
And they won’t let reality
Get in their way
While we’re being led
Should I say astray?

By: Cedric McClester

To just sit back
And let it happen
Means she was derelict
Or otherwise jus’ napping
In either case
They’ll be no high five slappin’
For giving away the city
In a bow and wrappin’

It’s clear to me
Her capacity was reached
She allowed the decorum
To be breached
In contradiction to everything
Dr. King preached
What that says to me is
She needs to be impeached

Now some or y’all will say
Give the sister a break
But my question to them
Is how much does it take
For her to stop sleeping
And be shaken awake
So it’s time that the sister
Got hook or the rake

I wanr the name of genius
Who burned down CVS
Someone who doesn’t live there
If I had to guess
But it’s nothing but ashes now
Nevertheless
How come the police stood by
And watched it digress

Looters and burners
Are clearly implicated
But they’re not the only ones
It must be stated
So can someone tell me why
The mayor waited
For her city to burn
And only acted belated

By: Cedric McClester

He didn’t mean it
Or ain’t gonna do it
If he intended to
Clearly he blew it
Now we can say
We always knew it
Asking why did he
Put us through it?

He didn’t mean it
Although he said it
Some might have heard
Or perhaps read it
But either or
We can’t forget it
Let’s hope we don’t
Live to regret it

He didn’t mean it
In case you care
We always knew
He was insincere
Things rarely are
As they appear
I’m trying to be
Perfectly clear

He didn’t mean it
As we can see
When he said
Our lunch was free
It’s never been
For you or me
Or for the folks
At Wounded Knee












Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Seems I’ve over dosed
On politics
And cable TV
Gives me my fix
I watch it for interest
As well as for kicks
When I know that all of ‘em
Are nothing but *****

I’ve listen to pundits
‘Til I’m blue in the face
When I should have ignored them
But in any case
I get a thrill from
Watching the race
And wondering who
Will come in in first place

It shouldn’t be hard
For anyone to understand
Why I’m in bad need
Of some Narcan
Cuz I’ve overdosed
More than most man
And when I started out
That wasn’t my plan

I’m in bad need
Of a rehab
But I’ve said no, no
Doggone it dag nab
So if I’m not careful
I’ll wind up on a slab
From ODing on someone’s
Gift of gab












Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Back to the beginning
I mentally retreat
To a city called Boston
40 Warwick Street
Some memories are bitter
Some were sweet
But they equal out
On my balance sheet

Occasionally
When I chose to talk
About summers in Boston
And Winters in New York
I remember being at
My great-grandmother’s knee
In Boston, Mass
She was Granny to me

See that’s how I spent
My formative years
Between New York and Boston
Steady switching gears
A product of both cities
Or so it appears
Back when television sets
Had rabbit ears

Grammer school in New York
High school in Boston
Are some of the things
That my mind gets lost in
There’s more I could tell
About What’s In-between
That I haven’t mentioned
Like what I’ve seen













Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2018.  All rights reserved.
















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

We don’t talk anymore
Or socialize like before
Long conversations are a bore
That’s what a text message is for
And we’re attached to our phone
Like we’re in the Twilight Zone
That’s not the way it used to be
When we had intimacy

We don’t talk face to face
Social media took its place
We rarely stop to embrace
Old memories become erased
It’s a brand- new generation
Lacking the time or patience
To verbally communicate
When we want to relate

We don’t talk anymore
From Alabam to Rotterdam
We Snapchat or Instagram
See it’s a new millennium
And social media is the idiom
We use the most to express
What we have on our chest

Some look back to yesterday
Appreciating the old way
We used our mouths to try to say
What we wanted to convey
We looked each other in the eye
And waited for the sure reply
To whatever we were saying
Or our features were displaying







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.






...

By: Cedric McClester

He took down the wrong brother
While working undercover
Soon enough he will discover
Restitution is a mother
And he had no reason why
He did not identify
Himself as the police
Not in the very least

See the brother has a name
That’s recognized due to his fame
So when he files his claim
That’s the end of the ballgame
For the cop that made him drop
To the ground then got on top
And after having roughed him
He proceeded to handcuff him

It was a clear abuse of power
That turned the public sour
And every second minute hour
He remain a cop we glower
Because it’s plain to see
That’s what he shouldn’t be
He is coarse and rude
And he lacks the aptitude

Without a reason or a rhyme
He clearly crossed the line
‘Cos we have to keep in mind
It was a non-violent crime
And when push was turned to shove
A crime he wasn’t guilty of
But the cop showed him no love
Nor handled him with a kid glove


Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I’d rather a president
Who has my back
Than one who is busy
Talking smack
One who is deliberative
And thinks things out
Rather than one who is not
But rants and shouts

I’d rather a president
Who walks softly
But carries a big stick
Than one who stomps
And acts too quick
I’d rather one like
Cool Hand Luke
Than one who’s like
John Wayne the Duke

I’d rather a president
Who weighs the options
Rather than one
Who reacts without conscience
I’d rather one
Who can **** Osama
Than one who can bring us
Lots of drama

I’d rather a president
Like the one we have
Rather than one who
Doesn’t do the math
I’d rather a president
Who can take out
Jihadi John
Rather than one who
Who goes on and on




Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Forget about Isis
No matter how you slice this
Trump is the crisis
Who’s rolling the dices
It’s not the Southern border
That is causing his disorder
The entire world can see
His insanity

He’s taken the word of Putin
Over those that he’s disputing
When it comes to matters of state
They’re treated second-rate
To our collective amazement
Some say he’s a Russian agent
There's reams of evidence
And it's in the present tense

He’s a racist and xenophobe
Now the emperor has been disrobed
He stands naked in front of us all
Even before Mueeller makes his call
And the fact we have to face
Is he’s made us an international disgrace
Make America great again?
Do you really think he can?

Fellow Americans has it come to this,
Is our ignorance truly our bliss?
He’s a master at spinning a yarn
Now the horses are out of the barn
The need for the 25th Amendment
Has become nothing, if not ascendant
But even though at times he’s clever
His reign of terror will not last forever









Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019. All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Did you ever wonder
Why the sky is blue
Or the lightening and the thunder
Serves to frighten you
When you see a flock of birds
Flying in the sky
Have you ever asked yourself
On whom do they rely

Did you ever wonder
Or take the time to think
Who gave you food to eat
Or the water that you drink
How could anybody say
That he doesn’t exist
Are they deaf and blind
Or simply just remiss

Did you ever wonder
Do you have the thirst
For a deeper knowledge
Of the universe
Have you ever thought about
What can’t be explained
Things that some attribute
To other men in vain

Did you ever wonder
Or take the time to think
Who gave you food to eat
Or the water that you drink
How could anybody say
That he doesn’t exist
Are they deaf, dumb and blind
Or simply just remiss

Your wonders are everywhere
For us to behold
But some ignore clear evidence
Even when it’s shown
I’m not judging them
Though their judgment’s coming soon
But they still have a gambler’s chance
To avoid their doom

Did you ever wonder
Or take the time to think
Who gave you food to eat
Or the water that you drink
How could anybody say
That he doesn’t exist
Are they deaf, dumb and blind
Or simply just remiss

Some say you’re omnipotent
Others just unseen
And I’d agree with both of them
Depending what they mean
Because I see you everywhere
And in everything
A blade of grass a mountain top
And church bells when they ring

Your wonders are everywhere
For us to behold
But some ignore clear evidence
Even when it’s shown
I’m not judging them
Though their judgment’s coming soon
But they still have a gambler’s chance
To avoid their doom


Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

They aspire
For an office much higher
Than the one that they hold
As it gets to the wire
One might inquire
Who’ll be left out in the cold
Or if I may be so bold
Whose tent is gonna fold

They’ve set their sights
On loftier heights
Above their present positions
But if nobody bites
We’ll perform the last rites
On their individual ambitions
And not to be contrite
This is said despite their individual positions

Would you agree, mi amigo?
It’s a matter of ego
That drives their aspirations
For some it’s libido
As they thread the needle
And constantly test our patience
Just adding to our frustrations
Never reaching our expectations

It’s an interesting field
Of near-do-wells and well-heeled
Hoping to be the last person standing
As time has revealed
Their fate may be sealed
Despite all the time they spent branding
They can go to hell
If their brand doesn’t sell
And bid the race a farewell



































Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

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 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 you’ll often find
That’s what’s behind
A hate-filled mind

By: Cedric McClester,

Can you envision
What I’m seeing
You and me
In the Caribbean
On a secluded isle
Somewhere
Just let your mind
Take you there

Sit back relax
Hear what I’m saying
As mental pictures
Start to playing
There’s nothing for you to prepare
Just let your mind take you there

And can you feel
The ocean breeze
Wrestling through
The tall palm trees
And on the beach
If you please
The whitest sand
Anyone sees

Sit back relax
Hear what I’m saying
As mental pictures
Start to playing
There’s nothing for you to prepare
Just let your mind take you there

As the breeze
Blows through your hair
And I make you very aware
Of just how much I really care
Just let your mind take you there

I’m trying to paint
A mental picture
Though champagne might work
A whole lot quicker
As for the details
I’m a stickler
And I can lay it on
A whole lot thicker

Sit back relax
Hear what I’m saying
As mental pictures
Start to playing
There’s nothing for you to prepare
Just let your mind take you there

Can you envision
What I’m seeing
You and me
In the Caribbean
On a secluded isle
Somewhere
Just let your mind
Take you there






Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

The profit motive inspires our lust
Money is the god in which we trust
And justice hasn’t ever been for us
Seems like all the breaks
Go to the upper crust
Those on Wall Street love to speculate
On the backs of the middle class
Who must carry the freight

Prisons now are being run for profit
State legislatures casually adopt it
Increasingly more states are tryin’ to cop it
Is there anyone, anywhere to stop it

Neo-slavery has become big business
Avarice and greed caused them to rig this
And none among us can afford to ig’ this
Is it necessary for me to go down the pig list
As legislators continue to shoot the breeze
Like an orange Puerto Rico has been squeezed
And Islanders are forced to beg the US please
They’d just like a chance to get up off their knees

Prisons now are being run for profit
State legislatures casually adopt it
Increasingly more states are tryin’ to cop it
Is there anyone, anywhere to stop it

Some clearly might question
Has the deck been stacked
Against a certain class of people
Who have been attacked
And if they had the resources
They seem to lack
They might be better equipped
To fight back

There are certain facts here
I’ve tried to expose
That have been camouflaged
For how long God only knows
It’s high time they’re revealed
I would suppose
And that’s the role here
That I must have chose

Prisons now are being run for profit
State legislatures casually adopt it
Increasingly more states are tryin’ to cop it
Is there anyone, anywhere to stop it

The profit motive inspires our lust
Money is the god in which we trust
And justice hasn’t ever been for us
Seems like all the breaks
Go to the upper crust
Those on Wall Street love to speculate
On the backs of the middle class
Who must carry the freight

Cedric McClester Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

As long as you know one day
That you are gonna die
And you can’t say for certain
You know the reason why
Get down on your knees
And look up towards the sky
The answer to your question
Rests with God on high

As long as you have blood
Pumping through your veins
As well as a heart beat
The question still remains
Who’s in control of all of this
And the breath you breathe
It’s God The Omnipotent
Is that hard to believe?

As long as we have night
That turns into day
Then there should be no question
Let the believers say
It’s God the Omnipotent
Who has shown the way
For all that’s in existence
He made us out of clay

As long as the sun rises
Over in the east
And we desire war
Instead of lasting peace
Let’s pray to God the Omnipotent
That one day it will cease
So the lamb can finally lie down
With the savage beast















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

What does it mean,
To be the greatest artist ever?
That you come up with rhyme schemes
Some people find clever?
Or, you design clothes,
That pull the cash lever?
Or, that you do other things,
Categorized as whatever?

What does it mean,
To have an ego so large,
That it becomes obvious,
That your id is in charge?
Or, you occasionally lash out
In an unseemly barrage?
Or, that you have fancy cars
Parked in your garage?

What does it mean to
Submit to Christ,
If you think what you do,
Is twice as nice?
Or, you’ve never taken
His Good Book’s advice?
And you can’t keep still
Like a bad case of lice?

What does it mean,
To be big bad and bold
Or, for that matter,
Have a million records sold?
Or, to be known
For having broken the mold
If your life is measured
By the people you’ve rolled?











Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By:Cedric McClester

Thought you’d always be there
Took for granted that you’d care
To put it in a word I was unaware
Of how much pain and despair
That I was causing you
By the stupid things I’d do
Was I callous guess it’s true
Now I’m the one who’s blue

It’s a hard adjustment to make
The things for granted that we take
When someone’s heart we slowly break
Which can be a fatal mistake

Do you find it to be strange
When I tell you how I’ve changed
Ever since we’ve been estranged
Or do you think I’m deranged
Cuz I’ve always had good game
But underneath I’m just the same
Someone worthy of the blame
Who’s impossible to tame

It’s a hard adjustment to make
The things for granted that we take
When someone’s heart we slowly break
Which can be a fatal mistake

See I’m tryin’ to make sense
Out of your ambivalence
Which is the equivalence
Of having me in suspense

No matter how much breath I waste
Mere talk will not erase
The memories that you have encased
In your mental private space
But what else can I do
To prove the point to you
That I’m done and through
With the things I used to do

It’s a hard adjustment to make
The things for granted that we take
When someone’s heart we slowly break
Which can be a fatal mistake

Thought you’d always be there
Took for granted that you’d care
To put it in a word I was unaware
Of how much pain and despair
That I was causing you
By the stupid things I’d do
Was I callous guess it’s true
Now I’m the one who’s blue

It’s a hard adjustment to make
The things for granted that we take
When someone’s heart we slowly break
Which can be a fatal mistake


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

By: Cedric McClester

Fear of a bad hair day
Kept the President away
From a World War 1 grave site
To the Russian leader’s obvious delight
He’s a predicate recluse
Who used rain as an excuse
For not showing up
Which we must deduce

Is part of his M O
Don’t act like you don’t know
He’s a man without class
If you will, a horse’s ***
Who promotes himself
At the expense of all else
He’s a nationalist he says
So let’s keep him in our prayers

World leaders five abreast
Walked together, but take a guess
Who was not there nonetheless
Our recalcitrant President I must confess
He’s superior in his own mind
You could argue, because he’s crazy or  blind
And before he’s finally finished
In the eyes of the world, we’ll be diminished

He’s so concerned about his hair
Because he must be unaware
Most assume he wears a wig
Because his style is oh so big
And God forbid the wind might blow
Then for sure we'll see a **** show
Tryin’ to keep it all together
Especially in inclement weather











Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2018. 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

Did OJ do it
I don’t know
Who it was
That struck the fatal blows
I wasn’t there
But even so
I have a theory
Far as that goes

Did OJ do it
Who’s to say
The witnesses are dead
And by the way
It’s only conjecture
Brought into play
On any witness stand
On a given day

Did OJ do it
Many say yes
And I might too
If I had to guess
But that’s not evidence
It is at best
Pure supposition
Nonetheless

Did OJ do it
Only he knows
And he hasn’t admitted it
Nor has he chose
To expound on a theory
But I suppose
He’s been subjected
To his own blows








Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All  rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Anything that ***** did
Is something they couldn't get with
When he succeeded, Heaven forbid
Republicans just blew their lids
Now let’s take ObamaCare
They’d like it to disappear
But it ain’t going anywhere
And that gives ‘em quite a scare

It makes them so distraught
They despise the things he’s brought
Seems B’rer Rabbit can’t get caught
Not as easily as they thought
Look at all that he’s achieved
They’re confounded - can’t believe
What he’s pulled from his sleeve
It’s hard for them to conceive

After all the hell he caught
And the battles that he fought
Who knew - or would have thought
That his efforts weren’t for naught
But when God is on your side
No matter what your enemy’s tried
Their results will be denied
And you know I haven’t lied

Now as much as he’s defamed
I believe he’ll still be named
Among the great ones that have came
And his critics will be shamed
When history records his record
And future generations check it
After they read and dissect it
What he’s accomplished won’t be neglected








Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

They are not the terrorists
They’re the terrorized
Yet they are the ones
We’ve chosen to ostracize
Everyday they’re looking
Death squarely in the eyes
And yet we haven’t
Taken the time to realize

They are not the terrorist
They’re just frightened people
The majority of which
Are perfectly peaceful
And are in no way
Trying to be deceitful
Why can’t we treat them
Simply as our equals

They are not the terrorists
Though we like to pretend
That they’re all hell-bent
On bringing about our end
If we keep the Syrians out
That’s the message we send
And we’re no longer a nation
That I can comprehend

They are not the terrorists
They’re just their victims
Is it their fault that
Most were not born Christians
What kind of reason is that
To keep them at a distance
Because of some politician's
Constant insistance



























Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

My future options are in doubt
With unemployment runnin’ out
Don’t wanna go that outlaw route
But I’m close to it - just about
See I’m another sad statistic
Though the President is optimistic
I hope somehow that he can fix it
Cos I don’t know if I can risk it

If I had a job to call my own
I wouldn’t feel so all alone
I’d work my fingers to the bone
But that pipe dream is clearly gone

You could say my hand’s been forced
Because my job has been out sourced
I’m not the only one of course
Who’s talked about this till they’re hoarse
Although the numbers hardly moved
The situation has improved
The future’s ours to win or loose
It’s no wonder I’ve turned to *****

If I had a job to call my own
I wouldn’t feel so all alone
I’d work my fingers to the bone
But that pipe dream is clearly gone
I’m havin a Palin moment
Cos I feel stuck
I’m close to sayin’ what the f--k
So why don’t you just wish me luck
Or pass the hat I need a buck


If I had a job to call my own
I wouldn’t feel so all alone
I’d work my fingers to the bone
But that pipe dream is clearly gone

And though my situation seems dire
The President knows how to inspire
Now I just need to be hired
Cos I would never call him a liar
I know the man is well intended
Though unemployment has not been ended
I just hope it gets rescinded
Or somehow Constitutionally amended

If I had a job to call my own
I wouldn’t feel so all alone
I’d work my fingers to the bone
But that pipe dream is clearly gone

My future options are in doubt
With unemployment runnin’ out
Don’t wanna go that outlaw route
But I’m close to it - just about
See I’m another sad statistic
Though the President is optimistic
I hope somehow that he can fix it
Cos I don’t know if I can risk it



Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

You don’t love this country if
You want it to be exclusive
You don’t love this country if
Your mantra’s non-inclusive
You don’t love this country if
Your verbiage is abusive
You don’t love this country if
Your motives are conclusive

You don’t love this country if
You think it’s only Christian
You don’t love this country if
You are on a crusade mission
You don’t love this country if
You don’t have some contrition
You don’t love this country if
Hatred is your sole ambition

You don’t love this country if
You hate your fellow man
You don’t love this country if
You don’t want it to expand
You don’t love this country if
You let guns get out of hand
You don’t love this country if
You want all others banned

You don’t love this country if
You think it’s for the rich
You don’t love this country if
You take us in a ditch
You don’t love this country if
You undo every stitch
You don’t love this country if
You fall for a sales pitch

Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

They wanna know
Am I obsessed
Perhaps I am
Just as they suggest
But lies eventually
Get undressed
Whether denied
Or confessed
And we’ve been lied to
Convincingly
And that’s the problem
Don’t cha see
Cos I refuse
To let it be
One day I know
We’ll all be free

They wanna know
Why I’m so mad
As if bein angry
Is so bad
The fact they’re not
To me is sad
Guess they don’t know
When they’ve been had
They wanna wave
The red white and blue
But would they still
If they knew
The true nature of the beast
And why were really
In the Middle East
So that the vultures get to feast

They wanna know
Why I write
About this subject
Day and night
But I’m just tryin
To shed some light
On how and why
We’re in this fight
And someone has to speak
Truth to power
So I seized the moment
And the hour
I’ll not let them
Make me cower
The situation
Is too dower

They wanna know
Why I feel
So compelled
To keep it real
Snitching don’t have
Much appeal
But someone has to
Tell the deal
The 9-11 sentiment
Ain’t the reason
That we went
It’s the oil
Get the hint
That’s the truth
Of why we went

They wanna know
But then they don’t
Some will believe
While others won’t
But I still try
To raise the roof
And I don’t talk
Without the proof
Now he won’t tell ya
That he goofed
He should have stayed
On the Vermouth
Maybe then
He’d be more mellow
Instead he’s just
A cocky fellow

They wanna know
But I’m not tellin
That George Dubya
Must be jellin
Y’all know
That the man’s a felon
And I don’t believe
You’re askin me
The nature of his felony
You have eyes
Use them to see
Yo we’re at war
And don’t have to be
And I guess it's clear enough to see
That he is not the remedy






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

By: Cedric McClester

He’ll tell ya if you ask him
Cuz it’s a salient fact
That he voted against that ill-advised war
That we fought in Iraq
He was overjoyed
When they brought the soldiers back
And he stated for the record
That it was no way to act

And if you question him
A little closer
You’ll find that he’s a non-interventionist
Because we can’t police the world
With an iron fist
Talk with him some more
And he’ll tell you this my friend
As a policy intervention must end

We can’t continue to
Take one side in opposition to the other
And then try to broker peace
Like a well meaning brother
We deal with leaders that we hate
But our southern neighbor Cuba
We continue to isolate

Everybody’s fighting now
To be Israel’s best friend
Without being even handed in the least
Towards the Palestinian
We may share democracy
And similar self-interests
But it’s the height of hypocrisy
To feign our indifference

We can’t continue to
Take one side in opposition to the other
And then try to broker peace
Like a well meaning brother
We deal with leaders that we hate
But our southern neighbor Cuba
We continue to isolate


Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2016.  All rights reserved.

By; Cedric McClester

Where do I begin
It didn’t start with ******
Oxycotin was my friend
Who eased the pain I felt within
Before I knew it I was addicted
And now my life is so conflicted
I lie and steal unrestricted
And occasionally I get convicted

This ain’t the average ghetto tale
Where society happened to fail
But it is starting to get stale
And now my body is so frail
It happened quite by accident
My loved ones pray for abstinence
Which only makes perfect sense
But I’ve put up a picket fense

The clock is going tick tick tick
I’m tired and I’m dope sick
I’ve got to get a fix real quick
Because I’m in a panic
I’ve lost all my self-respect
And I can’t find my connect
Nor anything to inject
Not even a likely prospect

Addiction seems to be spreading
Who can say where it’s next heading
Suburbs everywhere are dreading
Drowning in the place they’re treading
Doctors are clearly to blame
When giving pills to ease pain
But even that does not explain
Why it’s ****** in the main







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2017

Am I dating myself
With these words out my mouth?
See, I remember a time
When we flashed the peace sign
And called one another
Sister and brother
Seems we’ve gone sour
On acquiring black power
And black on black crime
Is the new paradigm
When we look in the mirror
It becomes much more clearer
That we hate what we see
Although that shouldn’t be
Remember freedom marches
Before the golden arches

Then ****** entered in
And we start popin’ our skin
Before we shot it straight into our veins
Which probably explains
Why we regressed
Long before the present opioid mess
It was ****** first,
But then it got worst
So let me take you back
To the era of crack
When a nickel or dime
Could trigger a crime
And what really hurt you
Is the women who lost their virtue
But I’m not absolving the men
Who’d engage in all kinds of sin

I remember gangster rap
And how that set the trap
Which brought the stress and strife
From tryna live that gangster life
Then the East Coast West Coast war
That didn’t exist before
Remember when Biggie and Tupac were friends?
Instead of how their story ends
They’ire a classic group today
But I remember when NWA
Used to pull out all stops
When they sang **** the cops
And chronicled their lives
Called their girlfriends and their wives
All kinds of ******* and ******
Then would dance down on all fours

Now let me bring you up to date
Would it be wrong for me to state?
When it was our problem alone
It was the prisons we were shown
There was little sympathy don’t cha see
When it  was just you and me
Who said they had a problem
There were few out there to solve ‘em
But opioids are everywhere
And it’s a disease now, so I hear
That crosses all socio-economic lines
Now there are many telltale signs
It’s now called an opioid disorder
Past the inner city border
And the word is harm reduction
Instead of out and out destruction






















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Same *** marriage
We realize
Isn’t acceptable in
Some folks eyes
They view it as unholy
And also unwise
But it’s homophobia
That we should despise

Who are we to say
Who they should love
There’s only one judge
And it’s God above

Same *** couples
Share a common bond
With other lovers
Who correspond
To love’s imperative
That has spawned
A feeling that’s deep
And goes far beyond

Who are we to say
Who they should love
There’s only one judge
And it’s God above

Who give us
The right to say
What they should do
Anyway
If there’s a penalty
For them to pay
We won’t sit in judgment
On their judgment day

Who are we to say
Who they should love
There’s only one judge
And it’s God above

Those who oppose
LGBT
Simply because
They disagree
Have a right
To their opinions
But that doesn’t mean
They have dominion

Who are we to say
Who they should love
There’s only one judge
And it’s God above





Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Yesterday, the coal mine closed
Like the future we were promised
Heaven only knows
And the steel factory’s next
I do suppose
Since the tariffs were placed
Business comes and goes

Where in the world
Does a working man go?
When he’s put in his time
But has nothing to show
But a broken back
And calloused hands
When he’s unable to meet
His family’s demands?

We made a choice
The last election
We were told we’re going
In a new direction
Which helped us in
Making the selection
But all that we’re seeing
Is his dereliction

Where in the world
Does a working man go?
When he’s put in his time
But has nothing to show
But a broken back
And calloused hands
When he’s unable to meet
His family’s demands?




Cedric  McClester, Copyright  © 2018.  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’m well aware
There’s little room to spare
For Obamacare
Because I can hear
What I’d like to know
Though you told me so
Is why must it go
Even so

And I understand
That it all began
Under a black man
So is that why you pan
Everything he’s done
For each and everyone
Reasons under the sun
It’s under the gun

See I am astute
It’s ready aim then shoot
You just don’t give a hoot
If 24 million get the boot
And though it is a shame
To you it’s all the same
It’s just one big game
Different player different name

And you’re not being honest
Just to say you promised
Cos’ I’m your doubting Thomas
An out of house alarmist
You choose to mox nix it
Instead you need to fix it
Don’t create another Brixit
By being complicit



















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.