By: Cedric McClester

Who determines  
What’s the proof
That’s required
To find the truth
Shouldn’t we question
Who’s the sleuth
And do they want
The answer forsooth

Or is it political
At the root
It’s apparent
If you’re astute
They’re just trying
To dilute
A reputation
Which they impute

But what’s done under
The cover of night
Will come out
In the morning’s light
It’s the truth
You know that’s right
It should be them
That we indict

Who determines
When it’s enough
All of us
Should call their bluff
Cos they’re not dealing
With no cream puff
So why should we
Tolerate their guff














Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

If not for his position
It could make you laugh
Because he seem prone
To the frequent gaff
And let’s not forget
He’s been too cute by half
And by now it should be clear
He hasn’t done the math

His errant comments
Just served to reveal
That he doesn’t believe
In a level playing field
And his colleague Thomas
Will probably yield
To his warped opinion
As his past has revealed

Not one of their mouths
Has been any freer
Than Supreme Court Justice
Antonin Scalia
Don’t he make you wanna
Scream Mama mia
When he says Affirmative Action
Is no panacea

I can’t say for certain
What is your take
But I know for a fact
It’s afforded a break
To those who otherwise
Wouldn’t receive a fair shake
And he knows it too
For heaven’s sake







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

When your name isn’t
The first thing on their lips
And men stop caring
About your *** and hips
Remember this message
Anyone can slip
That’s why it’s important
For you not to trip

When your concerts
Stop being sold out
Then you’ll know
What I’m taking about
Because you won’t have
The same kind of clout
That you once did
When your fans
Used to shout

When the paparazzi
Stop paying attention
And your name barely
Warrants a mention
You’re on the decline
Not on the ascension
Then you’re career’s in
Animated suspension

You’ve enjoyed the fame
And made a fortune
But to the wind
You threw all caution
Even though you’ve had
More than your portion
You’ve come face to face with
The Apocalypse horsemen






Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

For the people (by the people)
Y’all know that’s a myth
Cuz Citizens United
Was a power broker’s gift
For those they place in office
Who must repay ‘em swift
So y’all keep on believing
While I’ll be wondering if

If we took the money out of it
Where would we be
I believe a whole lot further than
What we presently see
If their elected officials
Didn’t have to beg
Then maybe we the people
Would have the upper leg

In God we trust is what
We like to say
As long as God
Don’t get in the way
Of the One Percent
Who are running things today
To them hypocrisy and greed
Is perfectly okay - but

If we took the money out of it
Where would we be
I believe a whole lot further than
What we presently see
If their elected officials
Didn’t have to beg
Then maybe we the people
Would have the upper leg

While you get a cold one
Out of the fridge
Would you mind it terribly
If we go to the bridge
I think it’s high time
That we take a break
It’s only the country
That’s ultimately at stake

Y’all don’t wanna have me
Start to cursing
But how the hell can a corporation
Actually be a person
They change their names
And identities
Like a ***** changes her drawers
And that alone should give you (reason to take pause)

If we took the money out of it
Where would we be
I believe a whole lot further than
What we presently see
If their elected officials
Didn’t have to beg
Then maybe we the people
Would have the upper leg

For the people (by the people)
Y’all know that’s a myth
Cuz Citizens United
Was a power broker’s gift
For those they place in office
Who must repay ‘em swift
So y’all keep on believing
While I’ll be wondering if




















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

By: Cedric McClester

I say march on
To Talladega
Why try to make
The issue mega
Cuz it ain’t about
His inauguration
It’s about respect
For our nation

Just becuz
He may be hated
Why should the office  
Be underrated
That’s not to say
That I’m elated
Becuz the band
Participated

Despite protests
You can place your bets
We’re gonna see
Those Rockettes
Dancing and
Kicking their heels
No matter how bad
Inside it feels

Then there’s
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Who will perform
As they aspire
But from the guest list
We can see
They’re lacking
In celebrity







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

We’re faced with a contagion
As deadly as the Black Plague
And so it finds us engaged with
The scourge of the modern age
Yesterday we were challenged by
A disease that was spreading
And similarly today it seems
That’s the place we’re heading

One thing I know for sure
It crosses all demographics
And so we search for a cure
A stop light for it’s traffic
Some call it an affliction
Cos’ that’s their frame of mind
But opioid addiction
Is the bane of all mankind

As we attempt to treat it
Because we heed the call
We know to defeat it
That one size won’t fit all
Multiple methodologies
Will have to be employed
Though the ideal is always abstinence
Let’s not get paranoid

There are other approaches
Out there on the horizon
Like medically assisted treatment
That conveniently ties in
To the awful situation
We find ourselves in today
Doctors providing treatment
Can control this disease they say







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Under the AHCA
Once it gets unstuck
Wise people say
The poor get ******
In the usual way
But the president says
We’re gonna be okay
Because he’s the prez

We’re being sold ****
Like it was Shinola
The rich will be okay
The poor - like I told ya
As they point the way
We’re gonna need a shoulder
For us to cry on
As they move that boulder

If they repeal Obamacare
With no concern
How the sick will fare
I’m warning them
They better beware
Cos’ we’re gonna rise up
And give ‘em
Quite a scare

As I write this
They’re counting votes
If they make it
According to the quotes
They have to know
They’ll be rockin’ boats
And taking on water
Until nothing floats











Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

By: Cedric McClester

No more politically correct
Or words that tend to genuflect
He’s now concluded what the heck
And says some things you don’t  expect
His last term's running out of time
So he can say what’s on his mind
He doesn’t have to be sanguine
Nor fear perchance he’ll cross a line

So when he does a eulogy
As he tries to comfort the family
He speaks the truth ‘cos he feels free
To deliver a message don’t you see
So let me here and now insert
That if some feelings do get hurt
It’s not because he’s being curt
Or restrained he’s not inert

His message was direct and strong
By pointing out what he found wrong
Then sang an old familiar song
And the congregation joined along
As he tried to make his case
He talked about slavery and race
And the Confederate flag not keeping pace
With things that need to be erased

The man was like a shining tower
He demonstrated strength and power
As the accolades began to shower
The pundits called it his finest hour
He even took on gun control
In terms that were concise and bold
He was a sight to behold
See he believed the things he told

Copyright © 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

We’ve been here before
Dead students on the floor
I’ve been keeping score
I refuse to anymore
Politicians still must run
But nothing ever gets done
Cos it’s never their loved one
Who’s the victim of a gun

It doesn’t make much sense
That we’re always in suspense
Wondering when the next offense
Will occur in the future tense
But we know **** well it will
Someone with the urge to ****
Is gonna find some blood to spill
Haven’t we been through this drill

So the question we must ask
Before another gun man blasts
And flags are flown half mast
Is who’s up to the task
Who will have the courage to
Pass a law so me and you
Will have the comfort level due
Tell me do you have a clue

Why do we keep coming here
Out of sadness and out of fear
By now it should be very clear
That it won’t magically disappear
Until we learn to change our ways
This kind of violence just replays
It’s commonplace nowadays
The shooter goes out in a blaze



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

By:Cedric McClester

I hope a random act of violence
Can bring an end to the code of silence
Because a six-year-old boy was stabbed to death
And his seven-year-old female companion was left
With multiple stab wound injuries
Now the doctors are exploring contingencies
And the neighborhood is left feeling bereft
Tell me what more could be left

He was just a little baby
His mother cried, "Lord save me!"
What’s this whole world coming to
How could somebody do
What they did to her only son
But now that the deed has been done
Will the neighbors cling to their tired code
Or have the courage to unload

Things have gotten too far gone
To say they’ve not would be wrong
I know for some snitching is tough
But when is enough, enough
How many children have to die
Before the police will be able to rely
On someone stepping up to the plate
To stop the madness before it is too late




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

By: Cedric McClester

Woman oh woman
The rumor’s going ‘round
That I’m being treated
Like a circus clown
Cuz you been speading your good stuff
All over town

Woman oh woman
What am I supposed to do
Despite the rumors
I’m still in love with you
Should I go Lightnin Hopkins
And get a shot gun too
Or merely tell you baby
That ain’t no way for you to do

Woman oh woman
Do you dare deny
Then tell me to my face
Such a barefaced lie
All I want is an answer
To that time-worn question why

Woman oh woman
What am I supposed to do
Despite the rumors
I’m still in love with you
Should I go Lightnin Hopkins
And get a shot gun too
Or merely tell you baby
That ain’t no way for you to do



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

By; Cedric McClester

They report without remorse
And rarely do they name their source
The enemies of the people of course
Are hard for us to endorse
Read whatever you may choose
Then classify it as fake news
Their behavior can’t be excused
Because their power is often abused

Ain’t  it enough to make you sick
Just listening to his rhetoric
Fake news or others take your pick
You can count on him to throw a brick
Through a window that’s plate glass
To the world he shows his ***
Though we think he’s moving much too fast
But as the Bible says, “This too will pass.”

Praise the name of Donald Trump
Who’s still on the campaign stump
We hope that he hits a speed bump
Before he lands in the trash dump
Now we’re not saying crash or burn
But in good time we’re sure he’ll learn
Although right now it’s of no concern
Everybody’s gonna get their turn

Slowly he will be exposed
The chinks in his armor everybody knows
But he’ll continue I suppose
Along a path that is primrose
Selling supporters unreal dreams
Cos nothing’s as easy as it seems
He’s selling promises by the reams
But who’s watching the revenue streams




Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved

By: Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2022.

Isn’t it pathetic
That they’re unapologetic
As a general aesthetic
Yet we see them wax poetic
So we witness them rise
While democracy dies
Like the crow flies
Right before our eyes?

Isn’t it a **** shame
That in their party’s name
They seek ill-gotten gain
By making voting rights wane
Despite the suffering and pain?
They still will not refrain
From electioneering in the main
Which they have made plain

Isn’t it ridiculous
How they’ve become meticulous
At attacking the ventriculus
Of what used to exist
As a basic right
That was clear from
Day and night
Despite our struggle and fight?

Isn’t it passing curious
Not enough of us are furious
And that’s become injurious
In addition to being spurious?
But like Walt Disney’s elves
That’s where we find ourselves
Just like in the past
We’re bogged in their morass




Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2022.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

It’s a fact
Can’t be denied
We’re living in
A great divide
As for the dream
Somebody lied
From this reality
How can we hide

Now it’s not
About your race
But listen carefully
As I make my case
If your income level
Can’t keep pace
Soon enought
You’ll be replaced

As urban spaces
Are gentrified
And long time residents
Hands are tied
Is it unfair
I’ll let you decide
If the fairness doctine
Is being applied

Along the East
And Western coasts
We see this happening
The most
As they migrate
From the burbs and boast
Then clink their glasses
And make a toast


Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

He thinks he’s God
So he may find it odd
That we think he’s a fraud
A mere mortal who’s flawed
Who uses veterans as props
And the cops as backdrops
He’s pulls out all stops
That man’s a Cyclops

He has tunnel vision
And he’s clearly on a mission
But he changes positions
Like the gloves of a physician
And although he may aspire
For an office that is higher
He’s your average town crier
And a world class liar

How can anyone embrace
A man who hasn’t made his case
One who denigrates by race
And has always been two face
But he draws ‘em in droves
When it should have been case closed
Which I guess just goes to show
You really never know

Ask him about the money
He reacts in ways not funny
When his nose gets runny
The picture’s not so sunny
Behind the mirrors and the smoke
What can be said about that bloke
Who most would like to choke
While praying that he croaks




Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

No lapse of consciousness
Has seized us
Try though they may
They can’t appease us
With an apology
And a plastic Jesus
We’re on to them
So please believe us

They say hail Mary
And pray for grace
Towards a plastic Jesus
On their mantle place
It’s for insurance
Sort of just in case
Because all they want
Is not to be disgraced

They take their losses
With their gains
They know that *******
Baffles brains
And maybe that
Is what explains
Why they go through
Such awful pains

They say hail Mary
And pray for grace
Towards a plastic Jesus
On their mantle place
It’s for insurance
Sort of just in case
Because all they want
Is not to be disgraced

They deceived us
Told us lies
And we believed
Their alibis
That is until
We realized
They pulled the wool
Over our eyes

Everybody makes mistakes
That’s clear to us
For heaven’s sake
But they don’t know
How to apply the brakes
So they keep repeating
The same mistakes

Then say hail Mary
And pray for grace
Towards a plastic Jesus
On their mantle place
It’s for insurance
Sort of just in case
Because all they want
Is not to be disgraced

No lapse of consciousness
Has seized us
Try though they may
They can’t appease us
With an apology
And a plastic Jesus
We’re on to them
So please believe us


Copyright ©, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Though the courts say in God we trust
There ain’t no justice for us
Cos we’re forced to plea bargain a bust
Which adds to our general disgust
It’s the lack of parity
When it comes to sentencing see
While others routinely walk free
If it’s me they throw away the key

How come I always get the max
Regardless of the given facts
Is it any wonder why I can’t relax
Would you if the deck’s always stacked
I’m robbed of my liberty
And my labor is practically free
I’m locked up in knavery
Though it smacks back to slavery

Innocent until proven guilty
Never applied don’t cha see
From the moment they knows it’s me
Facing the charges that be
I’m given exorbitant bail
So I cannot get out of jail
And it’s foolproof guaranteed not to fail
Because justice has an unequal scale

Guilty or not of the crime
Nine times out of ten you’ll find
I’m somewhere up state doing time
And I’m used as a paradigm
For what’s wrong with society
I’m the poster child don’t cha see
So they point their fingers at me
Despite the disparity


Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015,  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

To a desperate politician
Who’s broke
Things might go better
With Koch
They’re not just
Your average folk
And their spending
Is sometimes baroque

Why can’t they get off
Their buns?
They’re too busy
Trying to raise funds
And they’ll never be
Against guns
As long as they’re
Who the NRA runs

It’s the American people
They neglect
While they take time
To genuflect
To the lobbyists
That they respect
So their to do list
Remains unchecked

We need to publicly
Fund our elections
And get rid of
The lobbyist connections
So they’ll follow
The people’s directions
In spite of
The rich folks objections








Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015,  All rights reserved.

Cedric McClester

Our three branches of government
Can’t pass the smell test
When all sides are embroiled
In a partisan mess
Because of our despot
As you might have guessed
With him the rule of law
Is hardly ever stressed

So much for the three branches
Being coequal
When they get caught up
In this kind of *****
All we can do
Is pray there’s no sequel
And we can return to
A government of the people

He betrays the laws of the land
That he swore to protect
Which is a clear sign
Of his gross disrespect
Or a testament to his
Challenged intellect
Which points to the fact
That he has to be checked

The accepted norms, which is the glue
That bind us together,
He seeks to undue
He’s continuously dropping
That other shoe
The same way
Any other narcissist
Would do












Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

For him the law
Is a sport
As outlined in
The Mueller Report
He’s selling
This nation short
He better hope that
He doesn’t get caught

He defies
All the rules
Like the country
Is comprised of fools
That he can use
As tools
Or just convenient
Foot stools

He’s an anomaly
As upon review
We can see
Who’s been on
A lawless spree
In this homeland
Of the brave
And land of the free

He’s an
Embarrassment
Who refuses
To relent
Perhaps it’s because
He’s hell-bent
On living a life
That’s misspent

















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Sankofa, looking back
To go forward
The past is a fact
We can’t ignore it
Nine-Eleven happened
On somebody’s watch
Because the intelligence
Was ignored or botched

Like laundry
Dirt comes out
In the rinse
Through the quandary
We’ve been safe ever since
That doesn’t erase what happened
Apparently
Someone was napping

People hate it
When I name the names
They debate it
And play mental games
So I won’t pin the tail
On the donkey
Or mask it
By being too wonky

For the sake
Of my argument
If it takes
Me having to relent
By not pointing
An accusing finger
My avoiding
Will make the thought linger



Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

She’s been vetted
More than most
Others would have quit
Or long been toast
She’s still standing
That’s no idle boast
And she’s never stopped  running
From coast to coast

How many times
Have they knocked her down
And she’s gotten back up
Off the ground
Brushed her shoulders
Then looked around
Two steps ahead of
Their blood hound

Her enemies are everywhere
Pointing their fingers
But she doesn’t care
Cuz who the hell are they
Trying to scare
She’s never been naive
She's accutely aware
They're always coming at her loaded for bear

She’s lazer focused’
And she won’t relent
Until they call her
Madame President
And if you think not
You haven’t got a hint
Cuz she’s determined
And she has the blueprint













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

By: Cedric McClester

I paid good money
To see your show
Not to hear you sing
Songs that I don’t know
You’ve got good chops
I admit you can blow
But I’m feelin’ robbed
Of my hard earned dough

Saw your show
And I left in doubt
Scratching my head
What was it all about
New material
But what you left out
Were audience favorites
Which gave you your clout

You didn’t even sing
Your latest hit
When you left the stage
I had a fit
And what was with that outfit
That you came out wid
It was all so stange
Ya havta admit

Saw your show
And I left in doubt
Scratching my head
What was it all about
New material
But what you left out
Were audience favorites
Which gave you your clout

I’ma fan no more
Cuz my heart has hardened
You don’t do that shhhh
At Madison Square Garden
Who you think you are
I beg yo’ pardon
You have no idea
What you have started

Saw your show
And I left in doubt
Scratching my head
What was it all about
New material
But what you left out
Were audience favorites
Which gave you your clout

You’re a modern day Nina
As in Ms. Simone
And if you keep that up
You’ll be all alone
When you come on stage
You’ll find us gone
I wonder if
That thought ever dawned

I’ma fan no more
Cuz my heart has hardened
You don’t do that shhhh
At Madison Square Garden
Who you think you are
I beg yo’ pardon
You have no idea
What you have started

Saw your show
And I left in doubt
Scratching my head
What was it all about
New material
But what you left out
Were audience favorites
Which gave you your clout


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

By: Cedric McClester

Should we decide to impeach,
What is the lesson that it would teach?
Would it be considered overreach?
Even though decorum has been breached
Does the House have the sworn duty,
To render to the country, the President’s *****?
And wouldn’t that be a thing of beauty,
Or simply a sign that the Democrats are moody?

If you can get where I’m coming from
Clearly, we’re caught up in a conundrum
That’s just as abrasive as a corundum
But Constitutionally it’s in secundum
With what’s laid out in black and white
But should we engage in that kind of fight
Knowing the Senate probably won’t do right
Should we march boldly into that good night?

How to proceed is anyone’s guess
The question is, what would be best?
Does duty call nevertheless
Or are you of the opinion that I digress
I don’t profess to have the answer
So consider me an artful tap dancer
Running in circles like a lab hamster
Contemplating how to punish a lamster

History will record where we’re now at
Whether, or not we go to the mat
Fact of the matter, it’s our turn at bat
And all of us know that we smell a rat
So, how do we propose this riddle gets solved
Should we drag it out and hope it evolves
Or like everything else watch it dissolve
Considering everything that it involves




















Cedric McClester, Copyroght © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Truer then fiction
This newest affliction
Called opioid addiction
Without restriction
Was allowed to spiral
Because of denial
And now it’s gone viral

Just yesteryear
No one seemed to care
Now it’s everywhere
No prisoners to spare
As our contributions
Become resolutions
Requiring solutions

To this disorder
That crosses the border
As timeframes get shorter
We had just oughta
Ask ourselves how
To lower the plough
And address it now

By medically treating
The challenges we’re meeting
It’s worth repeating
The obstacle we’re defeating
Is opioid addiction
The disease, the affliction
Through medical interdiction












Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

From his 19-page
Audition memo, ya knew
That he would do the job
He was hired to do
Protect the President
Through and though
And stir up a caldron
Of ******* brew

Our Attorney General
Is William Barr
And he views the President
Much like a czar
Or better yet
He sees him on par
With every dictator
Near or far

My mission here
Is not to spoil it
But Barr’s reputation
Is now in the toilet
He’s clearly a waste
And we need to boil it
Or rise up in mass
To combat this ****

Just think about it
It makes perfect sense
That William Barr
Would mount a defense
For a tainted President
So therefore and hence
He’s as much of an ***-kiss
As Vice President Pence















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

This isn’t the end
It’s the beginning
And we’re only in
The first inning
Raised voices are
Our underpinning
For a movement
That’s growing not thinning

This isn’t the end
It’s the beginning
Those who don’t understand
May be grinning
Or trying to hit back
By offending
Despite the fact
We’re ascending

This isn’t the end
It’s the beginning
Because we intend
To be winning
So they can go on
Condescending
But we will remain
Unbending

This isn’t the end
It’s the beginning
And we hope that
They’re comprehending
We’re not into
Deficit spending
Our movement is
Has no ending





Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

He elected to create
The conscious lie of birtherizm
And in so doing
Created a nationwide schism
But who elected him
As an arbiter of aphorism
While showing the world
His unique brand of racism

Now he’s declared
For the world to hear
That the President is American
Or so it would appear
But what his words of acknowledgment
Didn’t make clear
Will an apology be forthcoming
Or not as I fear

Did he finally say it
Or was it an illusion
After all these years
What brought him to
That conclusion
And why was he
So hell-bent
On causing confusion?

To put it succinctly
The man is a fraud
And morally speaking
We know he’s flawed
So nothing he says
Should we find odd
But he can’t escape
 The judgment of God




Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Depending upon
What the case is
Terror has many faces
In the Middle East
And  other disparate places
No matter who
A drone chases
Or the people it erases

Another mother moans
As she retrieves
The flesh and bones
Of dead loved ones
Killed by drones
Now she must choose
Their headstones
For a policy no one condones

Families wiped out
By the dozens
Mothers fathers
Sisters brothers
Cos we view them
As those others
A will to ****
Is our druthers

Another mother moans
As she retrieves
The flesh and bones
Of dead loved ones
Killed by drones
Now she must choose
Their headstones
For a policy no one condones

From the sky
They watch ‘em fall
So who is it that
Makes that call
Do we want to
**** them all
Or simply bring ‘em
To a crawl

I know we have to
Hit ‘em hard
But who on earth
Declared us God
Even thinking that
Is flawed
Don't believe me
Ask the Lord

Another mother moans
As she retrieves
The flesh and bones
Of dead loved ones
Killed by drones
Now she must choose
Their headstones
For a policy no one condones

Depending upon
What the case is
Terror has many faces
In the Middle East
And in other places
No matter who
A drone chases
Or the people it erases


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

By: Cedric McClester

After we made love
And I fell asleep
With pleasant memories of
Emotions that ran deep
The ecstasy I felt
Was impossible to keep
Wrapped up in my dreams
So if you saw me weep

Those were tears of joy
Ya had me reminiscing
About everything we did
Especially all the kissing
From your head to toe
You responded and I listened
Cuz I wanted you to know
You had me on a mission

After we made love
We bathed in the afterglow
Just like hand and glove
We fit each other so
And our waves of passion
Had an ebb and flow
From the very beginning
Right from the word go

After we made love
I was over come with joy
Anxiously awaiting
A chance to redeploy
Ain’t no doubt about it
You’re the real McCoy

After we made love
In the quiet of the night
I was trying to come up with
An appropriate sound bite
But all I had on my mind
Is you’re such a lovely sight
And all I wanted to do
Was to cry and hold you tight

Those were tears of joy
Ya had me reminiscing
About everything we did
Especially all the kissing
From your head to toe
You responded and I listened
Cuz I wanted you to know
You had me on a mission


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

By; Cedric McClester

He’s selling horseshit
But nobody’s buying
Other than his base
Even they know he’s lying
While his spokespeople are
Out front denying
When behind closed doors
You’ll hear ‘em sighing

He selling horseshit
By the ton
But he isn’t fooling
Anyone
And now his lies have him
Under the gun
So ask yourself this
Is he having fun

He’s selling horseshit
Now it’s starting to stink
But he still assumes
That people don’t think
So he counter punches
Like, a boxing rink
Meanwhile the country’s
Begining to sink

He’s selling horseshit
And we’re getting tired
Of him and the folks
That he chose to hire
Like Kelly Conway
Who's become a liar
Or Sean Spicer
Whose pants are on fire
















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Has it finally started dawning
That we had more than ample warning
But Condoleezza and Bush were yawning
As the attacks were clearly forming
Then the terrorists took aim
And as predicted a tragedy came
Reacting after the fact’s not the same
The question is does he bear the blame?

‘Cos the intelligence was badly botched
And it happened on his watch
As he drank his malted Scotch
Things got taken up another notch
So he tried to even out the score
By getting us into an ill advised war
That his brain-trust should have foresaw
Would be disastrous despite shock and awe

And then he decided to double down
By placing boots firmly on the ground
In Afghanistan and all around
But fighting Taliban wasn’t sound
He revealed the head of the beast
So in the Middle East there’s been no peace
And as the violence is on the increase
Looks like the war will never cease

Ask the wounded and the dead who wonder
If it wasn’t all a major blunder
‘Cos it looks like we’ve gone asunder
As we observe ISIS **** and plunder
So if Bush shouldn’t get the blame
And there comes to mind another name
Like **** Cheney who’s one in the same
Much like Satan simply has no shame











Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015. All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

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

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

By: Cedric McClester

I've endured the fire and flood
Had my name dragged through the dirt and mud
I've endured more than I would
Ever imagined that I could
I've endured, I've endured
I've endured it all
Because I knew on whom to call

There were times that looked so bleak
When I needed to be strong
But was so weak
And there were times I couldn't cope
Hung by a thread to the rope
That God supplies to his allies
But even then I knew who to call
I raised His name above them all

I've endured the fire and flood
Had my name dragged through the dirt and mud
I've endured more than I would
Ever imagined that I could
I've endured, I've endured
I've endured it all
Because I knew on whom to call

Then there were those times
Of good and plenty
Of exceeding joy and blessings many
When my heart was full of gratitude
And gratefulness described my mood
Even then
I knew from whence it came
So I turned to Him and praised his name

I've endured the fire and flood
Had my name dragged through the dirt and mud
I've endured more than I would
Ever imagined that I could
I've endured, I've endured
I've endured it all
Because I knew on whom to call

I've endured the good years
And the bad
I've endured when faith
Was all I had
I've endured the abundance
And the lean
I've endured with faith
In the unseen

I've endured the fire and flood
Had my name dragged through the dirt and mud
I've endured more than I would
Ever imagined that I could
I've endured, I've endured
I've endured it all
Because I knew on whom to call

There were timesof exceeding sadness
When things looked so bad
I had no memory of the gladness
That I once had had
But God changed that condition
Just like he changed me
And placed me in position
To be healed and free

I've endured the fire and flood
Had my name dragged through the dirt and mud
I've endured more than I would
Ever imagined that I could
I've endured, I've endured
I've endured it all
Because I knew on whom to call


Cedric Mc?Clester, Copyright (c) 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

After we clean up the debris
And assess the damage that we see
Then wonder what the future will be
Mutual resolve is the key
As to whether we rise up from the ashes
Like a phoenix wearing rose colored glasses
And find a way forward that surpasses
A city planner’s dream for the masses

Once we pull back the cover
And attempt to discover
Things about one another
In essence we’re just sister and brother
If our differences can be put aside
What we share in common can’t be denied
We can unify but you decide
Can we be united or has somebody lied

After we comeback from this
Let's check some things off the list
That will allow us to coexist
Once our animus no longer persists
How do we find a better way forward
After our priorities have been reordered
And our vows to change have been recorded
Our mutual efforts will be rewarded

There are so many things for us to do
To insure that nobody can misconstrue
The things that our leaders want us to eschew
After all the turmoil that we’ve been through
For each of us this serves as a learning lesson
Adults shouldn’t revert to their adolescence
Now’s the time  for counting blessings
Bad behavior add nothing it lessens




© Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester,

He said, “I’m between the devil
And the deep blues sea.”
I wounded those cops
Now I have to shoot me
I can’t go back to jail
Baby don’t you see
I love you girl
But I have to be free

He said I’m in deep
Way over my head
I’d like to live long
But I’m better off dead

I was on the hallway steps
Then what did I see
Two cops there patrolling
Staring back at me
They said, “Hold on a minute,
Show us some ID”
That’s when I pulled my gun
And fired off three

He said I’m in deep
Way over my head
I’d like to live long
But I’m better off dead

It happened suddenly
In a New York second
I guess I lost my head
I would have to reckon
I don’t want to die
But I’m hearing death beckon
The cops are outside
And I’m sure they’re checking

He ran inside of
His girlfriend’s bedroom
Gave her a long kiss
Before the gloom and doom
Members of her family
Only heard the boom
He must have shot himself
Is what they assumed

He said I’m in deep
Way over my head
I’d like to live long
But I’m better off dead

Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClesrer

He thought we wouldn’t detect it
But it’s just like we first suspected
Though he claimed he would perfect it
He tried to change it but wrecked it
And as we might have guessed
His new health care is a mess
Leaving seniors in distress
While others benefit more or less

He thought we’d never know
To what depths he would go
But time moves on to show
You reap just what you sow
He has a certain knack
To present lies as a fact
Which he never does retract
Even when they’re stacked

It’s a tangled web he weaves
He thought that we’d believe
All he says he could achieve
Things most cannot conceive
He promised rainbows and puppies
******* his base in like guppies
Or like uninformed yuppies
Like we’re fools or inductees

He thought we’d blindly follow
When it’s a hard pill to swallow
Cos his guarantees are hollow
Get the picture it’s a Kahlo
It’s as clear as day from night
Healthcare should be a right
So his words serve to indict
On that he has taken flight









Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I just think it’s wrong
And my conviction’s strong
But you might disagree
You have that right ya see
But it’s also a fact
I don’t need to be attacked
Unnecessarily
See - I’m just being me

Everyone you’ll find
Is not of the same mind
We see things differently
That’s part of being free
To say what’s on your mind
Not trying to be unkind
But to share a point of view
That often differs from you

One size don’t fit all
It’s an individual call
And I’m trying to keep it real
By stating how I feel
It may not be politically correct
As you rightly might suspect
But at the end of this lesson
I’ve answered the question

I’m not in that amen chorus
Those who are just tend to bore us
I don’t endorse any agenda
That suggests I must surrender
To a set of dogmatic beliefs
That never desist or decease
What I hold inside is strong
But that don’t make me right or wrong













Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

The devil does exist
He’s living in our midst
But William Barr insists
That he’s not a liar
While impressing those
Much higher
Beware to the buyer
The situation’s dire

The devil does exist
If you get my gist
And let me tell you this
That he’s not a joke
Look at how
He goes for broke
Smell the sulfur  
From his smoke

The devil does exist
And those who can’t resist
Are on his naughty list
They gladly sell their souls
While assuming
Their various roles
That he’s assigned to them
They all bow down to him

The devil does exist
And so we should resist
He’s looking to enlist
Willing supplicants
To follow him
Like a colony of ants
Then they take a chance
By lowering their pants










Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

He isn’t a fan of
John McCain
But the fact of the matter
Will remain
Despite the hurtful
Words he said
John McCain
Is no less dead

John McCain
Was a prisoner of war
The same war
Trump chose to ignore
Yet he is still
Keeping score
Against a dead war hero
Because Trump is a bore

I believe what
Will Shakespeare said
The evil men do
Lives on when they’re dead
From the play Julius Caesar
Which Trump never read
Makes one wonder what goes on
Inside his small head

He’ll never be the man
That John McCain was
You only have to look at
What that narcissist does
To know that he’s sick
Because, because
No one makes more faux pas










Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

It’s a classic game
Of bait ‘n switch
Do ya want less government
Or just more rich
It’s hard to tell
Which is which
You pusillanimous
*******

Mission accomplished
Not so fast
Cos we’re still in Iraq
You stupid ***
How many flags
Have to fly half mast
Before you admit
That you had us all gassed

Nothing with you is
As it appears
We’re still in Iraq
After all of these years
We’re still losing lives
And still shedding tears
Which serves to confirm
All of our worst fears

So you got Saddam
And now he’s done
But the world’s full of bad guys
Count yourself as one
While you’re nation building
We’re not having fun
You bring the war clouds
And we want the sun

Nothing with you is
As it appears
We’re still in Iraq
After all of these years
We’re still losing lives
And still shedding tears
Which serves to confirm
All of our worst fears

The American people
Gave you their trust
Then what did you do
Why you spied on us
You’re waging a war
That no one can win
But that hasn’t stopped you
From giving us spin
It’s a classic game
Of bait ‘n switch
And you get high marks
From those you’ve enriched



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

By: Cedric McClester

There is no
Stare decisis
Unfortunately that’s how
It slices
The Supreme Court
Is in a crisis
Because they’ve
Rolled the dices

The precedents
That have been set
Are too easy
For them to forget
And don’t seem
To be binding yet
Much to our regret
We have a right to be upset

The Supreme Court
Has become
A political wing
Of an ugly
Conservative thing
Along with
The damage
It can bring

Within the realm
Of settled law
Nothing will
Stand up anymore
The way it
Once did before
And that we can
Bet on for sure


Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2022.  All rights reserved,

By: Cedric McClester

My prayers are for Paris
The city of light
That descended into darkness
One fateful night
Many lives were taken
And that wasn’t right
But they’ll rise again
Like a phoenix in flight

My prayers are for Paris
And all they’ve been through
It was a night
That they’d learn to rue
When they got up that morning
How many knew
It would be their last
Once the cold wind blew

My prayers are for Paris
And the rest of the world
A new kind of evil
Clearly has unfurled
And one group’s hatred
Suddenly can be hurled
At unsuspecting people
Who die bent and curled

My prayers are for Paris
See the day will come
When they’ll smile again
And cease being numb
After they’ve buried their dead
Heard the muffled drum
Joy will come in the morning]
Not just for some

























Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

“We’ve got to take ‘em out,
And their families too,”
Said a presidential contender.
I’ll let you guess just who
And as for water-boarding
That’s something that he’d do
There are no depths of depravity
That he would not stoop to

At times he seems delirious
But it’s hard to say
Whether he is serious
When he talks that way
His words seem to have Teflon
Cuz he’s not made to pay
The price a normal person would
But there’ll be a Judgment Day

A thousand Muslims celebrating
In New Jersey on a roof
In the aftermath of  9/11
They just joked and goofed
Is what he said quite clearly
Without offering the proof
As often is the case
When he's challenged by the truth

He’d close our Southern boder
And divide it by a fence
That the Mexicans would pay for
At their own expense
By keeping out the Syrians
He’d reduce the chance for error
As if widows and orphans
Are the main culprits of terror
























Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015. All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

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

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

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

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

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

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




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

By: Cedric McClester

They’re from today  
And they’re coming through
Cuz they want their moment
Just like you
Things change in time
I thought you knew
See everyone has
A replacement too

There’s a gunslinger
From out of town
Quicker on the draw
That will gun you down
And he’ll be on top
Until another is found
Who’ll come along
And put him in the ground

You’re beautiful
And it’s plain to see
Why you’re admired
It’s no mystery
Some day you’ll retire
And here is the key
There’ll be another
Fairer than thee

There’s a gunslinger
From out of town
Quicker on the draw
That will gun you down
And he’ll be on top
Until another is found
Who’ll come along
And put him in the ground

Everything old
Is born new again
The faces will change
As we know they can
With bodies so taunt
And much tighter skin
Then once more the cycle
Will repeat again

There’s a gunslinger
From out of town
Quicker on the draw
That will gun you down
And he’ll be on top
Until another is found
Who’ll come along
And put him in the ground

You can’t fight it
So why even try
The things I’ve laid out
No one can deny
Time will move on
And we’re gonna die
So don’t waste your time
Questioning why

There’s a gunslinger
From out of town
Quicker on the draw
That will gun you down
And he’ll be on top
Until another is found
Who’ll come along
And put him in the ground

They’re from today  
And they’re coming through
Cuz they want their moment
Just like you
Things change in time
I thought you knew
See everyone has
A replacement too














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

By: Cedric McClester

When we come for you with pitchforks
And we finally hunt you down
For the pain that you’ve been causing
Cos your judgment is unsound
When we drag you through the streets
To tar and feather you
Maybe then you’ll understand
What you’ve put all of us through

When we come for you with pitchforks
Like they did back in the day
It will be small consolation
For the price you made us pay
See you’d go to any length
So that you can have your way
And it doesn’t matter what
Anybody has to say

When we come for you with pitchforks
When we come for you with pitchforks
When we come for you with pitchforks
When we come for you with pitchforks

When we come for you with pitchforks
Because we’ve become unhinged
And we’ve lost all rationality
Cos we’re hell-bent on revenge
The thought might then occur
That sadly you’re mistaken
But by then it’s much too late
For you to have awakened

When we come for you with pitchforks
When we come for you with pitchforks
When we come for you with pitchforks
When we come for you with pitchforks
When we come for you with pitchforks
When we come for you with pitchforks


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

By: Cedric McClester

They reported
On the brother
Said he’s broke
Ain’t that a mother
Guess someone had to
Pull his cover
Cuz broke is one thing
Ugly is another

It’s hard to feel sorry
For the brother’
Cuz broke is one thing
Ugly is another

They say he lived
A lavish lifestyle
Made it rain in clubs
That’s not the half child
Until his Chapter 11
Got filed
He was runnin’ round
Acting buck wild

It’s hard to feel sorry
For the brother’
Cuz broke is one thing
Ugly is another

It’s hard for me
To even pity him
Cuz chance are
None to slim
That he would ever
Pity me
In similar circumstances
Don’t cha see

Fancy cars
And big *** mansion
On top of that
A guest-house expansion
How ‘bout the jewelery
He would wear
Medallions gold chains watches
He didn’t care

It’s hard to feel sorry
For the brother’
Cuz broke is one thing
Ugly is another

They reported
On the brother
Said he’s broke
Ain’t that a mother
Guess someone had to
Pull his cover
Cuz broke is one thing
Ugly is another











Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2016.  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 © 2015.  All rights reserved.