By: Cedric McClester

The bullets rained down
Then went away
But the memory of Attica
Will always stay
Fesh in my mind
Like it was yesterday
What a terrible price
Some were made to pay

On September 13th
Nineteen seventy- one
Thirty-nine were massacred
Before the state police were done
In an effort to retake Attica prison
Under their gun
They unloaded their weapons
On everyone

Lord have mercy (Lord have mercy)
Is all I can say
I know that human beings shouldn’t
Be treated that way
We may have different colors
But we’re all made of clay
And we’re loved by God the same
Anyway

Most of the prisoners there
Happened to be black
Not to play the race card
It’s a historical fact
So it may well have influenced
How the police chose to attack
While trying their ****** best
To take the prison back

The governor gave his go ahead
So the state police proceeded
With their prescription for success
More than was needed
Those not killed were tortured
As they lie there bleeding
And the police were credited
With their mission succeeding

For many years the facts
Remained hidden
While those responsible
Were doing the governor’s bidding
But what’s done in the dark
Always comes out in the light
Thankfully today the facts
Are in plain sight









Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2021.  All rights reserved.