By: Cedric McClester

I accept the right of those
Who always like to state
Their First Amendment Rights
As they spew their hate
But the right to incite
Is an open debate
They will find along the line
They’ll be crushed by its weight

I accept that everyone
Has their own points of view
That guides and informs the kinds of things
That they choose to do
Like add insult to injury
There are more than a few
Whose language is quite gingery
And some are liars too

I accept that there are those
Who’ll no doubt disagree
With everything that I hold dear
Especially civility
They lack insight but have the right
To malign anyone’s religion
That they might choose to slight
That’s solely their decision

I accept all kinds of things
That I cannot change
Even those whose behaviors
I find very strange
Different strokes for different folks
Can run a whole wide range
And they rarely have to be coaxed
To engage in a heated exchange


























© Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Her explanation
Best explains,
She’s living rent free
Inside of his brain
A mere distraction
That always remains
The motivator of
His outrageous claims

She’s been vetted
A thousand times
All they’ve come up with
Are imagined crimes
“Lock her up,”
His base always chimes.
She’d be rich
If they paid her in dimes

I guess we could have
Anticipated
Him calling for her
To be investigated
For spying he says
Kind of belated
They used to be friends
But now she’s hated

He’s talked in the past
About giving out pardons
But when it come to her
His attitude hardens
It’s like the war
Of the ancient Spartans
Not like a stroll
Through Tivoli Gardens












Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019. All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Another protester
Is on deck
As the speaker
Sprouts familiar rhetoric
He’s not appealing to
The crowd’s intellect
He’s provoking them
I would suspect

And he’s selling them
His impossible dream
And the more he promises
The more it seems
They become undone
At the seams
As he wraps up
His time-worn themes

He’s gonna make America
Great again
Hear his dog whistle
Calling all white men
Who’d like to relive
The past again
And if they can’t relive it
They’d just as soon pretend

Now he doesn’t mind
Who he alienates
He plays the dozens
And he hates
Insults opponents
At debates
And when he’s trapped
He puts on skates



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

By: Cedric McClester

The rich get richer
And the poor remain
On the margins or
Down the drain
Don’t look for conservatives
To feel their pain
They’re only interested
In what they can gain

Forget about all those
Who are in need
Today the rich worship
At the temple of greed
And they’ll do anything
In order to succeed
So if you’re listening
I suggest you heed

Most are sleeping
So they’re unaware
Of just who benefits
From Affordable Health Care
So they back people
With the nerve to dare
Suggest they’ll repeal it
Cuz they just don’t care

Some will vote for those
Who back the status quo
And stand by idly
Watching the misery index grow
But promise us security
As if they really know
How to bring it about
But again here we go


















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved

By: Cedric McClester

Conspiracy theories abound,
They can be found everywhere
Even among Amazon’s bestsellers
But what are they doing there?
Soaking up legitimacy
In places where they shouldn’t be
And that’s how the craziness spreads
In some susceptible heads ya see

Conspiracy theories abound
They can be found everywhere
Especially on Fox TV News
That’s all they seem to air
And guys like Chuck and Harold
Buy them lock stock and barrel
And you can’t make them believe
That they are ill conceived

Conspiracy theories abound
They can be found everywhere
On the pages of the National Enquirer
There’s more than enough to spare
And though most seem impossible
To their readers it’s true gospel
So they will continue to exist
As long as they persist

Conspiracy theories abound
They can be found everywhere
Especially on the internet
That all we seem to get
And then they’re spread
Like an infectious disease
By their believers
With the greatest of ease














Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric  McClester

Now we’re left
To wonder why
He decided not to let
The FBI
Get beyond the
Noise and, chatter
So they can
Investigate the matter

He wants a quick
Confirmation
Of his nominee
Cause he has no patience
Knowing he might
Be vindicated
Which already he has
Anticipated

So how it will end
Is anybody’s guess
Cuz those eleven old white men
Will do their best
To make the female
Seem at fault
You see its part
Of their gestalt

If the devil’s in
The details, and
The deed occurred
Way back when
It’s a sin now
Like it was then
But how she emerges
Will all depend






Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Is this the America
That the founders had in mind?
When America was founded
What was their design?
Did they mean for us
To become resigned,
To the internecine warfare,
That today we find?

Is this the America
That the founders had in mind?
When they came together
So they could redefine
The autocratic government
That had them in a bind
From which they did their best
To unravel and unwind

Is this the America
That the founders had in mind?
And did they foresee,
Our present day decline?
And if they did,
Would they be benign?
Or would they insist
That we get back in line

Is this the America
That the founders had in mind?
When a despotic president ,
Chose to cross the line?
By casting false aspersions
On opponents thus defined
And giving the red meat
To those similarly inclined










Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

The President’s leaving
Because he needs a break
The government’s closing?
Well, let them eat cake!
To blame it on him
Would be news that is fake
He just wants a wall
That we’ll never make

The President’s leaving
For sunnier climes
Despite the fact
It’s the worst of times
To host a party
And close the blinds
‘Cos Mar-a-Largo beckons
He’s crossing those lines

The President’s leaving
To max and relax
And to celebrate
Cutting the tax
That helps the rich
While a DACA packs
Dreamers are confronted
With these salient facts

The President’s leaving
Getting out of Dodge
While a government extension
Is caught in hodgepodge
See he doesn’t care
That accusations are lodged
Because he feels he can duck
The fuselage









Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2018. 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

Gorging on ice cream
She’s now on a binge
See she played with fire
And then she got singed
They say she hasn’t bathed
Or washed in days
As an awful consequence of
Her cheating ways

She chose to break dawn
With a married man
But the point of the matter is
Someone other than
The guy she lived with
That she claimed to love
She’s so full of
What I’m thinking of

She jilted her boyfriend
For a new flame
Which naturally upset him
Though that wasn’t her aim
One night of passion
She thought might be fun
With an older man
But look what she’s done

She chose to break dawn
With a married man
But the point of the matter is
Someone other than
The guy she lived with
That she claimed to love
She’s so full of
What I'm thinkin' of

Now she’s all alone
With the memory
Of someone she lost
Because she couldn’t see
Beyond her desire
For forbidden fruit
Now it is dire
And also absolute

He felt disgraced
In such a public way
That he said goodbye
Cuz what else could he say
And now she regrets
Everything that she did
But sorry is much too late
You’ll have to admit

She chose to break dawn
With a married man
But the point of the matter is
Someone other than
The guy she lived with
That she claimed to love
She’s so full of
What I'm thinkin' of

It’s a tale of caution
If you’re likewise inclined
All that glitters isn’t gold
You too will find
Unless you’re prepared
For the consequence
Being unfaithful
Doesn’t make any sense



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

By: Cedric McClester

They’re out there
Buying dreams
While reality
All but screams
It’s not as simple
As it first seems
When promises are sold
By the reams

Saying it
Don’t mean it’s done
They sell horseshit
By the ton
They’ll say anything
When they run
Whether for
Or against the gun

Some we don’t like
Some we do
Either or
It’s me or you
Who’ll decide
What’s false or true
When they drop
The other shoe

When politicians
Pulls their strings
What desperation
Often brings
Is people go for
Lot’s of things
Which ever way
The pendulum swings









Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

He throws a brick
Then hides his hand
Acting as if
He doesn’t understand
Why people are angry
That he wants to ban
Or otherwise
Kick out of this land

They’re leaning the lessons
That he wants to teach
And all in the name
Of having free speech
Clearly he’s found
His own special niche
In the public arena
That’s called overreach

Why are we surprised
When some demonstrate
Against a man
Who promotes hate
In the guise of
Having the freedom to state
Whatever he cares to
Despite the weight

He acts as if
We can’t see
That he has
The most culpability
More than others
If you ask me
So should we shut him down
Or just let him be

















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

When it comes to cops
Too many rush
To paint them all
With the same brush
To those who do
I must say hush
They’re not all bad
Believe and trust

Don’t let the few
That you despise
Color your view
Open your eyes
It’s easy to
Tell yourself lies
About their crew
But is it wise

When it comes down
To the crunch
One rotten apple
Don’t spoil the bunch
Not all of them
Are out to lunch
So why give them
A knockout punch

I’m not sayin’
They all are saints
But be careful
How your brush paints
I accept that
They’ll be complaints
But let’s be fair
And use constraints



© Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

The past that left me blue
Has me coming back to you
Long before I knew
What I was going to do
When I was adrift
Wondering what if

What if we got back together
Would it be any better
Than it was before
You walked out the door
Leaving me alone
In a twilight zone

Despite my doubt
I figured out
Coming back to you
Was the thing to do

Would you welcome me
I’d just have to see
Whether it could be repaired
And whether you still cared
That the past that left me blue
Has me coming back to you


















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

By: Cedric McClester

Supporters of the man
Simply amaze me
The question I should ask
Are they bat **** crazy
Now that we need him
Where's John Cameron Swayze
To comment on the behavior
He frequently displays -  see

He isn't normal
By any stretch of the imagination
To tolerate him
Takes more than a modicum of patience
As we watch him ***** up
Foreign relations
Soon we'll all have to man
Our battle stations

He accused his predecessor
Of a felony
Says he tapped his phones
What the hell is he telling me?
Without a Fisa Warrant
How could that be
Is this yet another instance
Of we'll just have to wait and see?

Unfortunately this baby
We'll have to abort
Cos we certainly need to cut
His tenure short
Look at all the confusion
He's already wrought
How many times
Must this lesson be taught?










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

By: Cedric McClester

It’s not the caravans
At our Southern border,
It’s the access to guns
That’s causing social disorder
If there’s a national emergency
Then it’s that, in fact
But he’s scared of the NRA
So he refuses to act

It’s not the immigrants
Who are seeking asylum
That are contributing factors
To this homegrown violence
It’s the guns that are used
With wonton abandon
That have raised our death rate
Throughout this land and

It’s not desperate people
Who happen to be brown
That are putting our citizens
Six feet underground
It’s not the hungry, or the poor
Who are responsible
For what we choose to ignore
Those are the things we need to explore

It’s not the ones
He pretends to suspect
That are the main problem
Causing this wreck
It’s the giant elephant
That’s been in the room
Who has been causing
All the gloom and doom





Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Do you believe
That evil exists
When it’s right there
In your midst
Or is the thought of it
Dismissed
And not even on
Your checklist

Do you believe
That evil’s alive
Cuz there’s evidence
It’s been revived
By the way that they
Scheme and connive
In an effort
To try to deprive

Do you believe
That it’s good politics
To resort to
All sorts of tricks
In order to thwart
Who he picks
It’s akin to saying
Mock nix

Do you believe
That they would expose
Their slings
As well as arrows
By the tactic
That they clearly chose
To insure
That the seat gets froze









Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2022.

As I turn another page
To embrace advancing age
At times I am engaged
At other I’m outraged
For feeling so encaged
Or even unassuaged
And otherwise upstaged
By my advancing age

But I’m learning to be adept
At trying to accept
Sometimes being inept
And at others just outstepped
By a well-kept
Overriding precept
That’s not a defect
Of my intellect

So it makes perfect sense
That my experience
Might be quite intense
Not suggesting that I’m dense
In a figurative or literal sense
As part of life’s suspense
I’ve learned to carry on
So hence

You deal the hand
You’re dealt
On the conveyor belt
Despite the way
You’ve felt
While fastening your seatbelt
And you refuse to melt
Because of where you dwelt

Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2022.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Iran hit the Saudis,
Or so they say,
What’s that got to do with us
Anyway?
Why should we be the ones
To make ‘em pay?
When Saudiis care less
About the Houthis they slay

The war in Yemen
Isn’t justified
Countless civilians
Have already died
So why did we take
The Saudi’s side?
And how come proportionality
Hasn’t been applied

The Saudis pay cash,
Or so, the President said,
While in their Turkish embassy
The reporter laid dead
The Prince didn’t order it
From all I’ve read
So if not the Prince
Then who instead?

Since when do the Saudis
Tell us what to do?
See I don’t have the answer
Neither do you
Yet the President responds
To them, as if on cue
Leaving us with the question
Who the hell knew?



            Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Place the onus on those
Right wing Jewish donors
Who view the annexation of
The Golan Heights a bonus
And while it well may be
We’ll have to wait and see
If a two-state solution can be found
On what was once Palestinian ground

So let us continue to pretend
That it’s not about the Benjamins
Garnering support for our Jewish friends
To the detriment of Palestinians
The President’s envoy to the Middle East,
His son-in-law, can’t bring about peace
You see he biased to say the least
And both of their pocket have been greased

We can’t underestimate Jewish influence
On American policy we see the confluence
As our strongest ally in the Middle East
The slack we cut them, over time has increased
And so we’re not viewed as honest brokers
But rather we’re thought of as Jewish gophers
Whether, or not that’s actually  true
That’s how it’s seen in many folks view

While Israel has the right to exist
So do the people who they’ve ******
They’ve taken Jerusalem for their nation’s capitol
Though for Palestinians that’s clearly not palpable
So how is the riddle ever to be solved,
If neither side, hasn’t evolved?
And policy’s still driven by certain interests
Which is fuel by money nevertheless








Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester


How many Memorial Days
Will we need
If the hawks among us
Once more succeed
In getting us to commit
More troops on the ground
In places like Iraq
When that judgment isn’t sound

Why do some among us
Consider the president weak
Because of the diplomatic methods
That he often seeks
See it’s not about us turning
The other cheek
And it’s not about us
Being a tad too meek

Haven’t we learned anything
From our past mistakes
Like fastening our seatbelts
For heaven’s sakes
Or avoiding a crash
By applying the brakes
Caution used wisely
Might be all it takes

Where are the weapons
Of mass destruction
That Bush talked about
Still under construction
Is the world much safer
With Saddam gone
Or have present conditions
Proven him wrong







Copyright © 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

He’s just waiting
For the moment to pass
When the media
No longer asks
Where’s his proof
Cos there has been none alas
Of the wire tap
He tweeted about so fast

Though the office he holds  
Couldn’t be much higher
Both his hair and his pants
Are clearly on fire
The man in essence is
A pathological liar
Who ****** himself out
To the highest buyer

Everyday we seem to get
A brand new lesson
And ya can’t get him
To answer a question
So his deafening silence
Just keeps us guessing
To the point where
We’re now all obsessing

So he’s waiting
For the moment to pass
While showing the world
His uncovered ***
And very early in the morning
There’s a twitter blast
Of innuendoes and lies
That his internet casts





Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Remember when addiction
Was just a black and brown affliction?
Don’t you long for those Halcyon days
Before your kids picked up their ways
Before the face of addiction changed
And the situation got rearranged
We share more in common than you knew
Your kids are becoming zombies too

So as you seek to absolve ‘em
Hoping they can overcome the problem
You put on a happy face and pretend
That you’re not at your wits end
It’s an old familiar song
You asking, "Where did I go wrong?"
Because it’s becoming very plain
That the pain is just the same

Now addiction’s a major issue
So you grab another tissue
As you try to figure out
How did this thing come about
But the answer is elusive
Drug addiction is all inclusive
See it never occurred to ya
That it would take over suburbia

Don’t even bother to explain
I understand - I feel your pain
And the thing you fear the most
Is one day they’ll overdose
So you pray they never do it
That they never take you through it
And night after night you cry
Hoping that they will not die



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

By: Cedric McClester

He took a hammer
To his mother’s head?
At least that’s what
I think he said
Or perhaps it was
Something I read
Thank God he changed his mind
Or his mother might be dead

Say what?
A steel knife to the gut
Thank God
There was a but
Cuz the belt buckle
Did jut
And his knife got
Broken up

Then there was the guy
He tried to rock
With a solid brass
Pad lock
Much to
That other’s shock
He now claims
To have taken stock

But imagine
If you can
What manner
Of man
Would plot those thing
Then plan
So help me
Understand








Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Fox News has finally
Filed for divorce
From Bill O’Reilly
For being coarse
They say that they
Can no longer endorse
That kind of behavior
In their workforce

Sponsors have left Fox
By the droves
As that old adage
Commonly goes
Guilt by association
I suppose
In a place where
The emperor wears no clothes

Some say the divorce
Is quite overdue
When Roger Ailes left
O’ Reilly should have too
None of the allegations
Were from out the blue
Human Resources
Must have also knew

And so a sad chapter
Finally closes
At Fox news
And what I suppose is
They’ve been forced
To take care of their biz
Before they’re reduced
To nothing but fizz

By: Cedric McClester

One day we’ll all be dead
Let’s celebrate their lives instead
Who cares what someone said
Or what we might have read
Their work will speak for them
Can we all say amen
They left us much too soon
Where’d they go to the moon

They all sang a song or two
And some could glamour you
Others could take you to
Heights you never knew
Long after they are gone
Their music will live on
So even though we’re torn
No need for us to morn

The accolades repeat
Until again we meet
We have to be upbeat
Parting is bitter sweet
No more barricades
Or no need for charades
Call it life’s big parade
Into the darkness we fade

They sang a song or two
And some could glamour you
Others could take you to
Heights you never knew
Long after they are gone
Their music will live on
So even though we’re torn
No need for us to morn

All this goes to show
Is that we never know
What time they have left
Before we’re left bereft

We have our memories
Of all of our used to bes
That we can now frame freeze
Before crying God please
Make us grateful for
The ones we can’t ignore
Who we won’t see anymore
So remember their last tour

They sang a song or two
And some could glamour you
Others could take you to
Heights you never knew
Long after they are gone
Their music will live on
So even though we’re torn
No need for us to morn

One day we’ll all be dead
Let’s celebrate their lives instead
Who cares what someone said
Or what we might have read
Their work will speak for them
Can we all say amen
They left us much too soon
Where’d they go to the moon





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














042216cm

By: Cedric McClester

If you’re who you say you are
And you’re really my girl
Don’t upload another picture
To share with the world
Tell me what’s sacred
If everyone can see
Parts of your body
That should be for me

Sometimes I think
You must forget
That’s not real life
It’s just the internet

I often wonder
Who you trying to impress
By showing yourself
In a state of undress
Tell me if you can
What you’re hoping to get
By exposing yourself
On the worldwide net

Sometimes I think
You must forget
That’s not real life
It’s just the internet

What am I to think
When you’re ******* like Kim
And you’re not even close
To a Kadashian
I’m not Kanye
I hope you understand
Cuz I’ve never been
That kind of man

Sometimes I think
You must forget
That’s not real life
It’s just the internet

This is our lives
Not reality TV
See I hate to gripe
But if you’re with me
Take yourself off display
For the whole world to see
Have some discretion
For me that is key

Sometimes I think
You must forget
That’s not real life
It’s just the internet

Sometimes I think
You must forget
That’s not real life
It’s just the internet
So what’s the point
In getting me upset
Or engaging in habits
You’ll later regret
Don’t get caught up
Playing that game
For fifteen minutes
Of instant fame

By: Cedric McClester

It’s just something
I don’t often admit
I have the blues
Which I frequently get
Because I miss you
But there’s no need to fret
Or even consider
It makes me upset

I cry sometimes
When no one can see
All the hurt
That you put on me
We’re not together
But I’m still not free
I cry sometimes
When no one can see

Redundant thoughts
Run through my mind
I don’t have your love
Still I haven’t resigned
To live my life
The way that I do
I want you back
And it’s also true

I cry sometimes
When no one can see
All the hurt
That you put on me
We’re not together
But I’m still not free
I cry sometimes
When no one can see

I’ve often wondered
And asked my self why
That people say
A man shouldn’t cry
When you wanna get something
Off of your chest
Sometimes it helps
And nevertheless

I cry sometimes
When no one can see
All the hurt
That you put on me
We’re not together
But I’m still not free
I cry sometimes
When no one can see



Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2016. 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

Here we go again
Will it ever end
As long as we pretend
That we will not ascend
Into the deep abyss
For tolerating this
While balling up our fist
Are we to remain remiss?

Seventeen and counting
Their blood flows like a fountain
The death toll keeps on mounting
Cuz we are not accounting
For our sins of omission
We have the dead’s permission
To stop the deadly commission
Of ****** as an act of contrition

Must we continue saying it’s too soon
To discuss the matter, it’s high noon
As dead bodies remain strewn
And it appears we are immune
To the carnage that we see
That doesn’t have to be
Marvin said mercy mercy me?
But must we morn the land of the free?

If you are asking me
I say that it’s insanity
To tolerate the inanity
Of this situation see
No more benedictions
Let’s have the courage of our convictions
We can cure our present affliction
With some artful interdiction







Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester,

Internecine wars
Fought behind closed doors
Can often be the cause
That gives one pause
To stop and think
Are you heading towards the brink
Of internal disaster
Faster and faster

I read the other day
About the price one can pay
If they, let’s say
Just look the other way
And start pretending
There’ll be a happy ending
Without compromise or bending
What message would that be sending

Without a corrective pill
To address the ill
It will be with you still
And the chances are nil
That given another day
Like a child at play
It will just go away
And everything will be okay

If you don’t understand
That the issues at hand
Are complicated and
When a fire is fanned
It will only start to spreading
And God knows where it’s heading
Like a patch of rough sledding
On towards your Armageddon





















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017,  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Thanks for sharing,
Finally the air is cleared.
Are you really telling me
It was all about his beard?
They killed so many people
Who weren’t the slightest bit prepared
If they were, I do believe
They might have been scared

What’s the world coming to
When someone goes for broke
Simply because of the fact
That they can’t take a joke
You mean to tell me
It has to result in gun smoke
As a consequence of somebody
Cracking a bad joke

I find it hard to believe
That it’s a motivation
For killing fourteen people
Right at their work stations
And wounding many more
What happened to patience?
Well let’s forget about that.
How about human relations

We can blame their rage on al-Islam
As many are inclined to do
Or we can blame it on pure ignorance
Then ask ourselves who knew?
We can pick a million reasons
Right out of the blue
But the fact of the matter is
We don’t even have a clue






Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Ain’t it funny how
Every now and then
When you least expect it
An era comes to an end
And you find it passes by
Like a sudden wind
You discover down the road
Life’s twists and bends

Long live the king somebody said
But we were taken by surprise
When they found him dead
It was blasted on the radio
Or somewhere you read
And you remember where you were
When you heard it said

He wasn’t the first
To walk on the moon
But that program closed
Much too soon
Unexpectedly we found ourselves
At high noon
When the air was taken out
Of our balloons

Long live the king somebody said
But we were taken by surprise
When they found him dead
It was blasted on the radio
Or somewhere you read
And you remember where you were
When you heard it said

Then came the princess
Whom we all adored
Who touched us in places
Where memories are stored
She passed much too quickly
We were all in accord
From bad habits and a lifestyle
She could ill afford

Long live the king somebody said
But we were taken by surprise
When they found him dead
It was blasted on the radio
Or somewhere you read
And you remember where you were
When you heard it said

Before that we discovered
Across the pond
Someone who lived on the edge
Was tragically gone
Though it wasn’t unexpected
Her fans still morn
Though her musical legacy
Will live on

Long live the king somebody said
But we were taken by surprise
When they found him dead
It was blasted on the radio
Or somewhere you read
And you remember where you were
When you heard it said

Disco experienced
A terrible blow
When two of its icons
Passed on as you know
Each in their own way
Put on quite a show
And sorely will be missed
Just like 54

Long live the king somebody said
But we were taken by surprise
When they found him dead
It was blasted on the radio
Or somewhere you read
And you remember where you were
When you heard it said


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

By:Cedric McClester

I felt like a prisoner of war
Tortured and abused
But I shoulda known before - it happened
I’d be used
All is fair in love and war
At least I’ve heard it said
I couldn’t take the pain no more
The pounding in my head

You triggered some things in me
That I never revealed
You could see far beyond
The layers that I peeled
So you went in very deep
Underneath my skin
Now the scars are what I keep
From that time back when

I felt like a prisoner
Locked away somewhere
Longing for a distant shore
And someone to care
All is fair in love and war
At least I’ve heard it said
I couldn’t take the pain no more
The pounding in my head

You can call me battle tested
All battered and bruised
After all that I been through
That should not be news
Experience is the best teacher
Or so I’ve been told
I tried hard just to reach ya
But you were much too cold

I felt like a prisoner
Locked away somewhere
Longing for a distant shore
And someone to care
All is fair in love and war
At least I’ve heard it said
I couldn’t take the pain no more
The pounding in my head

All is fair in love and war
At least I’ve heard it said
I couldn’t take the pain no more
The pounding in my head
I felt like a prisoner
Locked away somewhere
Longing for a distant shore
And someone to care



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

By: Cedric McClester

Like a needle in haystack
It’s very hard to find
Healthcare that addresses the needs
Of the deaf, the dumb or blind
Hope you’re not offended
By my use of paradigm
To try to make the simple point
I mean most of the time

Medicare is not enough
If you don’t have Medicaid
The amounts can be exorbitant
That are out-of-pocket paid
To your medical provider
Once the arrangement has been made
Makes you kind of glad
You’re still in the bed you laid

What is one supposes to do
When they’ve killed Obamacare?
And the present administration
Could care less how you fare
All that I can think of is
You had best prepare
For the consequences
Which are dire I must share

It’s a true conundrum
Of such major proportions
That I’m not even talking about
Where to get abortions
Instead I’m referring to
Despite your best precautions
Chronic health conditions that make
You go through contortions








Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

He’s the greatest artist that ever lived
To let him tell it, but is that a myth?
I hear him ******, he does have a gift
But who should we compare him with?
Michaelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel
A major work of art upon which to grapple
Leonardo painted the iconic Mona Lisa
And who created, the leaning Tower of Pisa?

He’s the greatest artist of all time
At least he is in his own mind
But upon inspection what do we find
A mad genius who has crossed the line
His sneaker designs are kind of fly
And his clothes are okay we can’t deny
Though what he's selling we don't tend to buy,
That's the truth of the matter why should we lie?

He’s a great artist and that’s his alibi
And we’re still trying to figure out, the reason why
But is it worth the effort, should we even try?
To decyfer him as if he were Luis Brunei
Thank God Almighty that he’s been saved
From the self indulgence, which had him enslaved
So as he tells it now, he’s no longer depraved
Which is so much different from how he once behaved

He’s the greatest artist that’s now alive
Is a better moniker for him to  strive
But even that requires that he arrive
Where the depth of his artistry can be archived
There’s no arguing that he’s carved a niche
Or that his offerings have made him rich
Yet he’ll never be able to scratch the itch
See in the final analysis that his glitch





             Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

We can believe
That he has a need
To prosper and succeed
So we should follow his lead
And judge him by his deeds
Not his inner circle choices
That’s causing panic
And raised voices

We can believe
What we couldn’t conceive
On the election eve
Now that he’s achieved
Pulling the rabbit out his sleeve
Now comes the reaction
On the nation’s streets
From the various factions

We can believe
Even those who are peeved
There’s no cause yet to grieve
But let’s not be naïve
And say we’ve been deceived
When we know that it’s a weave
On his head
You best believe

We can believe
That he’ll get the heave
On new year’s eve
Without the reprieve
He expects to receive
If he doesn’t deliver
The things that he said
Then his presidency
Will be all but dead







Cedric McClester, Copyritght © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

When we learned
James Baldwin was dead
From stomach cancer
His obituary read
We accepted the news reluctantly
And said a silent prayer
Then naturally wondered
Who’d be his heir

But alas Baldwin was
One of a kind
And like  a fine jewel
Hard to find
His perspective was
Clearly cutting edge
And sometimes he even
Went over the ledge

Baldwin warned us of
The Fire The Next Time
Borrowed from an
Apocalyptic paradigm
His words have proven to be
Quite prophetic
Yet the changes that occurred
Were only cosmetic

Baldwin pulled off
America’s scab
And revealed the raw under-flesh
That she’s always had
Lurking somewhere
Just beneath the surface
Ya see revelation
Was his sacred purpose









Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2021.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Let me pull your coat to sumthin’
You probably never knew
When I say black lives matter
White lives matter too
As well as law enforcers
Who happen to wear blue
We say black lives matter
Because they rarely do

Black lives matter
Needs to be expressed
Despite the things I’ve said
Because nevertheless
We have been dehumanized
And disrespected, at best
Shot down with impunity
In ways you’d never guess

Black lives matter
Has been our battle cry
And after all I’ve told you
There's no need to ask me why
Walk a mile in my shoes
Just give it a try
And then you'll understand
I tell you no lie

Black lives matter
Because we’re human too
But you’d never know it
Based on what we’ve been through
Brutalized and oppressed
By the people who
Are sworn to serve and to protect
But that’s not what they do





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

By: Cedric McClester

I make no excuses
Please let me explain
I didn’t want to be here
I just couldn’t take the pain
I said I wouldn’t do it
Never (Ever) again
I need you to understand
Tell me if you can

I said to myself
Never (Ever) again
Will I go back there
But that’s where I seem to end
Lord give me the strength
That only you can send
I know that I don’t have it
And so I won’t pretend

I couldn’t resist it
See it was leading me
To a place I didn’t wanna go
Where I should never be
Why I always end up there
Is a mystery
Yet all you ever have to do
Is review my history

I don’t need your pity
Because I’m overwrought
Condemn me not by committee
Instead give me support
I don’t wanna die this way
That’s why I’ve always fought
Searching for the peace of mind
That I've always sought





Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Today we want a god
Who looks the other way
So we can break his laws
Like everything's okay
We don't want to hear
His wrath or reprimand
That our actions bring
When things get out of hand

I don't want a god
With no rhyme or reason
And I don't want a god
Who changes with the seasons
I don't want a god
Influenced by the times
And I don't want a god
Who ignores our crimes

We're living in an era
Where anything can go
Between consenting  adults
As if God doesn't know
There's a price to  pay
Based on our behavior
For living for the moment
At the expense of later

I don't want a god
With no rhyme or reason
And I don't want a god
Who changes with the seasons
I don't want a god
Influenced by the times
And I don't want a god
Who ignores our crimes

God is not old fashion
And he has never been
He knew everything
Before there was a when
He never made a law
That hadn't been thought out
Which has me wondering
What they're talking about

I don't want a god
With no rhyme or reason
And I don't want a god
Who changes with the seasons
I don't want a god
Influenced by the times
And I don't want a god
Who ignores our crimes

There are consequences
For everything we do
Now's no time to act
As if we never knew
Just because our punishment
Often is deferred
Doesn't mean the punishment
Will never occur

I don't want a god
With no rhyme or reason
And I don't want a god
Who changes with the seasons
I don't want a god
Influenced by the times
And I don't want a god
Who ignores our crimes

We're living in an era
Where anything can go
Between consenting  adults
As if God doesn't know
There's a price to  pay
Based on our behavior
For living for the moment
At the expense of later

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

By: Cedric McClester

When it was us
You didn’t give a ****
Your only concern
Was how to save a buck
Now it you
That floods came to
And there no limit
To what you want us to do

When we were begging
Hat in hand
We couldn’t make you
Understand
Now you’re asking us to do
What you refused
Although you knew
All that we were going through

But what goes around
Comes back around
You never know
Where it's bound
As you’ve discovered
And we can see
You’re in need of our charity
But where's your reciprocity

You’re not conservative
Through and through
Though you’d like us to believe
That's true
You want us to do for you
What you yourself wouldn’t do
So it’s not a matter of what with you
It’s strictly a matter of who


      
  
It’sCopyright © 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Great people live or die
For a simple cause
We remember their names
Who will remember yours
Some of ‘em even had to
Defy existing laws
But that’s how it was then
And how it always was

Now’s the time to think about it
I’m not just flappin’ my jaws
We will remember their names
Who will remember yours

Tell the world and me
What will you leave behind
As a lasting legacy
Right now and for all time
Why can’t it be you
Who sets the paradigm
For others to follow your footsteps
Straight to the finish line

Now’s the time to think about it
I’m not just flapping my jaws
We will remember their names
Who will remember yours

Many are the takers
And so few of us give
We don’t know when we’ll die
But we decide how we’re gonna live
Time are like grains of sand
Being forced through a sieve
That vanishes real quickly
Once it starts to give

Make your contributions
Start speaking for you now
You may be a novice
But let your voice be clear and loud
Try to make a difference
I know you can somehow
Cos you can’t reap a harvest
That you haven’t plowed

Now’s the time to think about it
I’m not just flappin’ my jaws
We will remember their names
Who will remember yours

Now’s the time to think about it
I’m not just flappin’ my jaws
We will remember their names
Who will remember yours

Now’s the time to think about it
I’m not just flappin’ my jaws
We will remember their names
Who will remember yours




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

By: Cedric McClester

From observation
Something is wrong
Relationships today
Don’t last as long
Commitments aren’t
Binding or as strong
As they once were
People move on

I’m just curious
So I thought I’d ask
Is monogamy
A thing of the past
Relationships today
Don’t seem to last
In my opinion
They end too fast

(2nd Verse)
There are reasons
For this phenomenon
So I thought that I
Would try to list some
Like people who cheat
And then play dumb
Or people who lie
Leaving you numb

I’m just curious
So I thought I’d ask
Is monogamy
A thing of the past
Relationships today
Don’t seem to last
In my opinion
They end too fast

Why can’t we commit
And make that it
Which is not happening
From where I sit
How come some people
Want to explore
But the question that arises
Is what for

If you have someone
Better hold on tight
And do all you can
To treat ‘em right
Forget about the mysteries
Of the night
If someone offers you an apple
Don’t take a bite

I’m just curious
So I thought I’d ask
Is monogamy
A thing of the past
Relationships today
Don’t seem to last
In my opinion
They end too fast




















Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2016.  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
Under 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
It was done

I got caught in
Your spider’s web
I gave you my love
You pretended instead
I think you’d agree
With everything that 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
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
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
Under my skin
The way you did
So I can’t pretend

By: Cedric McClester

Let’s make America
Great Again
And even when it isn’t
Let’s just pretend
That we will dominate
Without end
So let’s embrace our foes
And cast aside our friends

Let’s make America
Great again
And if the president betrays us
As only he can
When his actions are treasonous
Let’s understand
That he is nothing more
Than a straw man

Let’s make America
Great again
At the expense of all others
Every now and then
Is that the kind of message
That we want to send?
And that everybody else’s will
Just have to bend

Let’s make America
Great again
As if we weren’t already
Before he began
To upset the applecart
And attempt to extend
America first
Some kind of trend









Cedric McClester,Copyright © 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I could make love to you
All night long
And then
Start all over again
At the break of dawn
Every fantasy
That you wished could be
We can make come true
Once we fire the desire
Between me and you

Slip into something more revealing
Your **** body's so appealing
I'm ready for some mutual healing
That can be found in what we're feeling

I could engage in foreplay
For hours on end
And then cool you down
Right at the point when
You're about to implode
From the overload
But once I'm up in it
There won't be no limit

Slip into something more revealing
Your **** body's so appealing
I'm ready for some mutual healing
That can be found in what we're feeling

If you're down for fun
We can engage in some one on one
Whatever you want under the sun
I'm more than ready to get the job done

Slip into something more revealing
Your **** body's so appealing
I'm ready for some mutual healing
That can be found in what we're feeling

I'm not after
Bragging rights
But I have first dibs
On those kinds of nights
Nights that were made
For making love
Cause we fit each other
Like hand and glove

If you're down for fun
We can engage in some one on one
Whatever you want under the sun
I'm more than ready to get the job done

Slip into something more revealing
Your **** body's so appealing
I'm ready for some mutual healing
That can be found in what we're feeling


I could make love to you
All night long
And then
Start all over again
At the break of dawn
Every fantasy
That you wished could be
We can make come true
Once we fire the desire
Between me and you



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

By: Cedric McClester

That’s not who we are?
Then who are we exactly?
I don’t know, don’t ask me
Or take the time to task me
With answering that question
Not who we claim I’m guessing
If our actions are any indication
We’re a totally different nation

That’s not who we are?
Our president likes to say
So then here is the question
Who are we anyway?
We’ve become schizophrenic
And we weren’t yesterday
Afraid of our own shadows
Like we are today

That’s not who we are?
But how many of us know
Who we really are
When it doesn’t show
We just pretend to be
What we’re not although
We’d deny that premise
If you asked us so

That’s not who we are?
The statement seems so strange
When you take into consideration
How much we have changed
The way we treat some refugees
Could be called deranged
From our former selves
We’ve become quite estranged
















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I could make the excuse
That I was high
When I cheated on you
But what I can’t deny
Is although I knew better
I still gave it a try
And if you asked a question
It would probably be why

No I don’t love her
More than I love you
I think at the time
It was just something to do
Do I regret it
Girl I thought you knew
There ain’t nothing to me
More important than you

Now you’ll probably hold it
Over my head
It doesn’t matter to you
What I just said
When you lose your temper
And start seeing red
I cease to exist and
I might as well be dead

No I don’t love her
More than I love you
I think at the time
It was just something to do
Do I regret it
Girl I thought you knew
There ain’t nothing to me
More important than you

Girl I’m only human
Though that’s no excuse
And I hope that I’m not
Pulling on the noose
I hope you’ll forgive me
And think what’s the use
I don’t want to lose you
So let’s call a truce

No I don’t love her
More than I love you
I think at the time
It was just something to do
Do I regret it
Girl I thought you knew
There ain’t nothing to me
More important than you

I could make the excuse
That I was high
When I cheated on you
But what I can’t deny
Is although I knew better
I still gave it a try
And if you asked a question
It would probably be why

































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

By: Cedric McClester

When you look at the man’s
Posture and his jargon
It’s clear to me, don’t cha see? that we
Had entered into a Faustian bargain
And if I may be so bold
The world did behold
That we lost our soul
To the allure of fool’s gold

So the logical deduction
For this deconstruction
Is that a change had to come,
Cuz he left us feeling numb
By representing the some
Instead of the many
See I would  be rich if I had a penny
For every time I asked, how can he?

How  can he, treat us
With such blatant disrespect?
When he was elected
To serve and protect
All of the people
Of the United States
Not just his acolytes
But also those he underates

The devil will promise you
Untold delight
If you’ll only abandon
What you know to be right
He makes everything
Seem sunny and bright
And many a fool
Has taken him light






Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2020.  All rights reserved.