By: Cedric McClester

You’re esoteric
And profound
Is it your melody
Or your sound,
That always has me
Coming around?
Rest assured
That I’m down

You’re so hard
To understand
See you perplex
The average man
I think you do it
Because you can
And I’ll forever
Be your fan

The payoff’s always
Worth the wait
I don’t know,
Can you relate?
How you keep me
In a state
Of anticipation
That you always satiate

I think about
The things we do
I enjoy
Making love to you
And I’m convinced
That you do too
While lying there
After we’re through




Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

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

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

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

Hateful actions and the rhetoric
Of a minor few who are clearly sick
Permeates the atmosphere
You can find it everywhere
But look a little closer
And you’ll often find
That’s what’s behind
A hate-filled mind


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

By: Cedric McClester

The lowest
Common denominator
For Donald Trump
Who’s an agitator
Doesn’t require
A calculator
To reveal him as
A woman hater

Now he’s attacked
Doctor Ford
Which has us all sayin,’
“Oh my Lord!”
How could he be
So untoward?
Maybe it’s just
That he’s bored

He thinks that
It’s all so unfair
What a man
Can’t do on a dare
To an unsuspecting
Lady fair
It’s a travesty
He does declare

What kind of country
Are we living in
Where a President
Can begin
To mock the real
Suffering
Of a victim
Of uncaring men






Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

What must I do,
To convey to you,
That I’m human too,
Try to change my hue?
And even if I could,
What makes you think I would?
If you understood
All God makes is good

The color of the skin
That I’m living in,
Doesn’t dictate then
When, or if I can
Live like other men
With the equality
That was ordained for me
Wouldn’t you agree?

Come on, use your head
Once it’s done and said,
Don’t we all bleed red?
And those who die are dead
What separates us then
Is not the color of our skin
Like some of us pretend
And others will contend

See my main intent
Or basic argument
For the time I’ve spent
Working on content
Is so we’ll realize
We're equal in God’s Eyes
And that we have to rise
Beyond our tribal ties











Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Why do widows and orphans
Cause us such fear
Who are running for their lives
And just seek a share
Of the American dream
That brought most of us here
How quickly we forget
Now we don’t seem to care

These are people between
A rock and a hard place
Who every single day
Stare death in its face
We can’t claim to be the best
With quite as much bass
As we could in the past
And in any case

Please don’t tell me because
They are Syrian
That makes ‘em
Twice as scary and
We can’t say we’re who
We try to pretend
That myth or that fantasy
Has come to an end

We’re faced with a battle
For the American soul
Once open and warm
Now we’ve turned so cold
That the American fable
Has now gotten old
Today we're  just punks
Who used to be bold























Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2915.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Dr. King, Dr. King,
Because of you we sing,
And celebrate your special day,
In a special way

Dr. King, Dr. King
We recognize your dream,
And what you tried to do
That's why it's only fitting,
That today we honor you

Dr. King, Dr. King,
Because of you we sing,
And celebrate your special day,
In a special way

Dr. King, Dr. King
You made it to the mountain top,
And saw the promised land,
You said you might not get there with us,
But our freedom was at hand

Dr. King, Dr. King,
Because of you we sing,
And celebrate your special day,
In a special way

And things are so much better now
Than they were back then
But we still have a way to go,
Before we reach the end

Dr. King, Dr. King,
Because of you we sing,
And celebrate your special day,
In a special way

From Selma to Montgomery
And places in between
Your civil rights summary
Is anything but lean
What would we have done
If you weren’t on the scene

Dr. King, Dr. King,
Because of you we sing,
And celebrate your special day,
In a special way

Dr. King, Dr. King
We recognize your dream,
And what you tried to do
That's why it's only fitting,
That today we honor you
  





















011715cm

By: Cedric McClester

What can I say?
That hasn’t been said
About the Queen of Soul
Now that she's dead
Her music lives on
Inside my head
Along with the memories
That her songs have fed

R- E- S- P- E- C- T
The Queen of Soul
Will always be
Aretha Franklin
Don’t cha see
She’s the only one
With the authority
To be the Queen in her sorority

There’ll be tears
Of sadness
And smiles of joy
That those who morn her
Will employ
She was one of kind
The real McCoy
With a living legacy no one can destroy

Let’s each thank God
For the gift
Of Aretha Franklin
The legend the myth
And the good memories
That she left us with
May her journey to heaven
Be restful and swift







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Before losing a job that’s gone
Overseas Bob’s not alone
He worked his fingers to the bone
Then had to refinance his home
His benefits have now run out
Future employment is in doubt
He wonders what it’s all about
Now all he wants to do is shout

God bless America, what for?
I hardly know you any more
You reward the rich ignore the poor
A divine reckoning’s in store

To a conservative’s delight
Budgets are cut left and right
They spend billions for wars they fight
And no one seems to get uptight
But not one dime’s spent to restore
The safety nets we had before
See charity’s not at their core
So it's about the budget, oh yeah sure!

God bless America, what for?
I hardly know you any more
You reward the rich ignore the poor
A divine reckoning’s in store

I disown my Uncle Sam
America I say God-****
For what you seek to blame on ‘Bam
Just because you think you ca

God bless America, what for?
I hardly know you any more
You reward the rich ignore the poor
A divine reckoning’s in store

In the face of so much blight
How can they even sleep at night
Yes this is meant to indict
Those who refuse to do what’s right
Jesus said among the olive trees,
Beg your pardon, excuse me please
What about the least of these
The ones you seem to always squeeze

God bless America, what for?
I hardly know you any more
You reward the rich ignore the poor
A divine reckoning’s in store

To a conservative’s delight
Budgets are cut left and right
They spend billions for wars they fight
And none of them gets uptight
But not one dime’s spent to restore
The safety nets we had before
See charity’s not at their core
So it's about the budget, oh yeah sure!

God bless America, what for?
I hardly know you any more
You reward the rich ignore the poor
A divine reckoning’s in store








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

By: Cedric McClester

Mama Handkerchief Head
Has said what she said
And somewhere I read
About her career being dead
She’s like urban blight
So that serves her right
But she’s not uptight
To our enemy’s delight

Mama Handkershief Head
Makes us see red
Once she gets out of bed
She just forges ahead
With her diatribe
All that hand bone jive
Trying hard to survive
But she hasn’t arrived

Mama Handkerchief Head
Is obviously fed
The things that she’s said
Like Black History’s dead
Or according to she
If it’s not it should be
But we see what we see
Anything for a fee

Mama Handkerchief Head
Is like a bladeless sled
Or a balloon full of lead
Going full steam ahead
Don’t take this as a slam
But she don’t give a ****
She’s  a Fox News country ham










Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

The skeletons in your closet
Will one day come outside
From the past into the present
From which you cannot hide
You can keep us in the dark
And I know that is your hope
But you can't avoid detection
Underneath the microscope

The skeletons in your closet
Tend to make you paranoid
You're afraid that they'll reveal
What you're hoping to avoid
I know you've heard it said
That you can run but cannot hide
And the proof of that assertion is
It cannot be denied

The skeletons in your closet
Are crying out real loud
Saying you can't keep us quiet
Just because you are not proud
You see much sooner, if not later
We'll have to be heard
So why try to prevent us
From having the last word


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

By: cedric McClester

Pray for Tina
That her affliction doesn’t last
It might be her history
But her destiny’s not her past
There’s a way out for her
I know that there can be
I’m talking about Tina
But the example might well be me

Pray for Tina
She can be redeemed
No one is as hopeless as
At first they might have seemed
She has aspirations too
She can live the things she dreamed
Because prayer can change everything
Like God above has deemed

Pray for Tina
She could be your daughter
I’m asking you to pray for her
Because you know you oughta
She needs our support
And encouragement
To keep her from the path
On which she seems hell-bent

Pray for Tina
You see her every place
In your neighborhood
Or wherever is the case
She doesn’t look much different
From you or even I
The problem with Tina is
She might prematurely die










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

By: Cedric McClester

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

By: Cedric McClester

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

By: Cedric McClester

Before the sweat is dry
Off of our brow
We need to earn a living wage
We need to earn one now
We’ve got families to feed
So can you tell me how
We’re supposed to do that
On what you’re paying us now

Before the sweat is dry
Off of our brow
We need to earn a living wage
We need to earn one now

Is there no limit
To your corporate greed
If you’re gonna profit
While the rest of us bleed
Maybe capitalism
Isn’t what we really need
If the deck is stacked against us
How can we succeed

Before the sweat is dry
Off of our brow
We need to earn a living wage
We need to earn one now

Trickle down economics
Never worked
The rich just get richer
While the poor get ******
We’re tired of kissing your ***
And being twirked
Now it’s high time
That we got perked

Before the sweat is dry
Off of our brow
We need to earn a living wage
We need to earn one now

The money we earn
Is money well spent
We’re not the ones holding on
To every single cent
Wanna grow the economy
Well Congress here’s a hint
Pay us a living wage
If that your true intent

Before the sweat is dry
Off of our brow
We need to earn a living wage
We need to earn one now

Before the sweat is dry
Off of our brow
We need to earn a living wage
We need to earn one now
We’ve got families to feed
So can you tell me how
We’re supposed to do that
On what you’re paying us now




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

By: Cedric McClester

We have a crisis
When the savages of ISIS
Blow up antiquities
And summarily lay siege
To Syria’s ancient ruins
Which is totally incongruent
With the Prophet’s example
Which is recorded and ample

It’s a travesty and a shame
What they do in Islam’s name
Because it’s not reflective of
The religion of peace and love
And the hatred that they fuel
Havin’ broken every rule
So it’s open to debate
If their end game is the caliphate

Al Baghdadi proselytizes
While his true mission he disguises
On the ground are lots of boots
That’s comprised of old and new recruits
As Syria and Iraq get hotter
They’re like lambs being led to slaughter
And many more nitwits he’ll find
Who tune into him on line

Soon they will discover
It’s not one thing it’s the other
And the women can’t escape
From the drudgery and ****
And the men overworked and underpaid
For the devil’s bargain that they made
See they’re all going straight to hell
In a handbasket can’t you tell














Cedric McClester, Copyright ©  2014.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Now is the time
To eradicate
Those merchants of death
Who practice hate
The world must unite
Cuz the hour is late
Let’s all join the fight
And help seal their fate

Now is the time
That God will reveal
The awesome power
That love has to heal
It’s stronger than hate
And I also feel
It will frustrate
All that isn’t real

If we are to find
Life’s greater meaning
Embrace the Devine
Do some house cleaning
Now’s a good time
To begin convening
Your higher angels
Whose wings are gleaming

Now is the time
To move ahead
Into the light
Not the darkness instead
Haven’t we seen
Where that has led
Or must we continue
To bury our dead?









































Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

A leopard doesn’t
Change it’s spots
Nor does a zebra
Change it’s stripes
America won’t be
Great again
It’s just a slogan
He hypes

Nothing will end
Here and now
That’s just
What he says
I can’t help
But feel somehow
That we should
Say our prayers

He promises to
To bring back
Our jobs
As if he really can
Like he’s some kind
Of employment god
But he’s merely
A man

He can do
Whatever he wants
Because of his
Celebrity
I think he’s on
An ego trip
If you're
Asking me




Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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




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

By: Cedric McClester

If you read the text
Then you’d realize
His squeaky clean image
Was built on lies
See he is someone
That we all should despise
But a heck of an athlete
No one denies

It started at the University
Of Tennessee
Where ****** harassment
Was allowed to be
There no one was
More celebrated than he
So he was allowed
To get away scott-free

He left her career
Somewhat in shreds
Based on some things
He allegedly said
Now I’m not here
Trying to raise the dead
But I don’t think it should have
Been put to bed

Against all odds
He won the Superbowl
Now he's a hero
For all to behold
But now that the story
Can finally be told
It has a tendency
To leave you cold











Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

He’s my consolation
And he might be my end
You see me and John Barleycorn
Are the best of friends
I have to turn to someone
When my long day ends
And so me and John Barleycorn
Are the best of friends

Some people say be careful
Cos he packs quite a kick
And others say – watch out
Cos he can make you sick

But he’s always there
Time and time again
When I need a pick me up
I can count on him
Ya see he never fails me
I’m telling you my friend
I just have to raise my glass
And all my problems end

(Chorus)
Some people say be careful
Cos he packs quite a kick
And others say – watch out
Cos he can make you sick

I’m aware of the danger
That our friendship poses
But here’s the thing I feel
That nobody knows is
All the comfort I derive
From him being there
He has the ability
To take away despair

Some people say be careful
Cos he packs quite a kick
And others say – watch out
Cos he can make you sick

I know that they talk about us
They do it all the time
But us being the best of friends
Hardly is a crime
It’s a special relationship
That we happen to enjoy
And I’m just being candid
Instead of being coy

Some people say be careful
Cos he packs quite a kick
And others say – watch out
Cos he can make you sick

He’s my consolation
And he might be my end
You see me and John Barleycorn
Are the best of friends
I have to turn to someone
When my long day ends
And so me and John Barleycorn
Are the best of friends

By: Cedric McClester

I wonder if they knew,
Or did they just blow their cue,
That the children locked in those cages
Were treated so outrageous?
And though it strains belief
They couldn’t even brush their teeth
Nor, use a bar of soap to bathe
Yet they’re who Marvin Gaye said save!

They present an opportunity
For the Colgate brand to be
Their toothpaste of choice
If their mouths are full of it when moist
Colgate at least should try
To be their sole source of supply
They could give those kids some hope
With their toothpaste and some Soap

Imagine that being your child,
Commercial ready with a Colgate smile
Do you get what I mean?
Like Outkast says, “So fresh and so clean.”
We can stop this insanity
With just a little humanity
And furthermore we can explore.
Not having them sleep on a floor

Beginning with a Colgate smile
We can turn back the dial,
And stop those family separations
For those caught in border migrations
They’re simply seeking a better life
An escape from the toil and strife
And crazy as it might seem
They bought into the American Dream









Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

If the leaks are real
But the news is fake
Because that’s what it takes
For the stories to break
Then what’s the average Joe
Suppose to make
Out of what he’s hearing
For heaven’s sake

If the leaks are real
But the news is fake
And the press conferences
Are considered cheesecake
And his Twitter account
He won’t forsake
You can even find him up
Tweeting at daybreak

If the leaks are real
But the news is fake
And all night long
He’s wide awake
Looking at TV like
Some kind of sponge cake
Hanging on to his cell phone
Like it's a keepsake

If the leaks are real
But the news is fake
And he’s striking back
Like a rattlesnake
See it’s a spectacle
In which we all partake
Though we should tell him
To jump in a lake










Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Lock ‘em up
And throw away the key
Ain’t that what they did
To the average ******
Especially if they looked
Like you or me
But they now have a different
Attitude we see

Now it’s not limited
To those ghetto Herbs
Today it’s prevalent
In the white suburbs
So it’s an issue
That suddenly disturbs
Middle America
Where it now occurs

Drugs are something
For us to all hate
Some it caught early
Others quite late
But either, or
It can seal your fate
For those who've know
Drugs don’t discriminate

They agree upon nothing
But on this they’re all in
Miraculously - efforts to fight drugs
Are bi-partisan
We don’t have to wonder
When did it begin
So we never have to equivocate
Or try to pretend







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

For the hungry or bereft
Who are taking their last breath
Cuz there’s few options left
It’s either innovation or death
You can’t depend on no one else
To reinvent yourself
If you find you’re not compelled
Then success will be withheld

Are you listening to me
It’s all about your artistry
Which determines what will be
Just be patient and you’ll see
Innovation’s recognized
By the ears and by the eyes
It takes that to realize
What you may not have surmised

Now it’s clear you have achieved
What your mind and heart believed
Something no one could conceive
Cuz they thought you were naïve
But you pushed on anyway
Now you’re lauded today
You didn’t care what people say
Your persistence is on display

If you’re hungry enough
Then you’ll hang on in there tough
Even when the going’s rough
Cuz you’re made of stronger stuff
And the world will redefine
The power that’s your mind
You had a blueprint and design
Now your work has been enshrined












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

By: Cedric McClester

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

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

I’m lookin’ for a place
To belong
Where the weak aren’t victimized
By the strong
And the meek aren’t
Trampled by the throng
I’m lookin’ for a place
To belong

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

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

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

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



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

By: Cedric McClester

Here’s something
I thought you ought to know
He’s polling at
A really all time low
But I guess that
Only goes to show
If you stopped to asked
I would have told you so

Think about it
And it makes perfect sense
That he’s an idiot
Who lacks experience
So you can make a note
It’s in the present tense
That we hold our breaths
While the world is in suspense

See you can’t believe
A word that man has said
And he tends to tweet
Whatever’s in his head
Thoughts he might have had
Before he went to bed
Suddenly becomes
What the world is fed

When he smiles
You see his pearly whites
You’d smile too
If you knew his acolytes
Who line up everyday
To kiss his ring
And to arrange his praises
That they sing
















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

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


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

By: Cedric McClester

Paranoia tends to grow
Cuz people fear what
They don’t know
Still they refuse to learn
And so
We still have quite
A ways to go

Conveniently we forget
Our ugly history
And yet
We fail to feel
A sense of debt
And rarely show
Any regret

I remember
Lynchings still
And truthfully
I always will
Think about
Poor Emmitt Till
By now I think
You know the drill

America the beautiful
Hasn’t always been
Benevolent when it comes
To men of colored skin
But this is now
And that was then
So I guess
We just pretend






Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016,  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Every time I see you
You complain
If we talk about the weather
You mention the rain
You talk about the bad luck
That you've had
With you it's never good
It's always bad
And it's a habit
That I hope you'll kick
Like Sounds of Blackness
Be optimistic

Look to the sky
And hold your head up high
Time goes by so fast
Ya see this too will pass
So why pretend
The perdicament you're in
Is gonna last forever
Like things won't get no better

As a person thinketh
So are they
Only you can
Chase your blues away
Keep an open mind
Be positive
pessimists survive
But others live
There's no time
Like the present to begin
To give your life
A different kind of spin


Look to the sky
And hold your head up high
Time goes by so fast
Ya see this too will pass
So why pretend
The perdicament you're in
Is gonna last forever
Like things won't get no better

Changes are occuring
Everyday
Keep your head up
Wipe the tears away
You don't know
What tomorrow's gonna bring
That might give you joy
And make you sing


Look to the sky
And hold your head up high
Time goes by so fast
Ya see this too will pass
So why pretend
The perdicament you're in
Is gonna last forever
Like things won't get no better




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

By: Cedric McClester

I didn’t talk
About it for years
Brushed aside
Intermittent tears
Did my best
To allay my fears
But I’m sharing now
So here it is

Though you might not
Have guessed it
I was often times
Molested
It’s only now
That I’ve confessed it
From a very early age
Through my adolescent stage

See it’s difficult
To begin
Letting out
What I’ve held in
About how I’ve
Experienced men
But I want to
Now that I can

It’s only now
I realize
That although
I was victimized
And the memory
Never dies
I survived
To became wise




Cedric McClester,Copyright © 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Across the front pages
It drizzled
He launched a big missile
That fizzled
From the repressed country
He’s chiseled
Down to the bone
Or the gristle

And it became a headline
Feeder
The man who they called
The Great leader
Who’s a half pack short
Of a *******
Finally has tottled
And teetered

Perhaps because of
His haircut
Some think of him as
A nut
Be that as it may
He’s the ****
International jokes told
You say what?

And were he ever to
Shed a tear
Many more would follow
I fear
From his frightened people
Am I clear
Even if they were being
Insincere








Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Welcome to Franklin’s
You know how we do
Get on the line
If you want our barbeque
We open at eleven
And close when we are through
People from all over
Come here just like you

Welcome to Franklin’s
Pull yourself up a  chair
It’s four or five hour wait
Just to get in here

We sell brisket by the pound
So tell us what’s your pleasure
Put your money down
We have a scale to measure
It’s finger licking good
This we guarantee
If you ain’t tried it, you should
Are you listening to me?

Welcome to Franklin’s
Pull yourself up a  chair
It’s four or five hour wait
Just to get in here

A trip to Austin Texas
Ain’t nearly complete
Until you’ve been to Franklin’s
And had a bite to eat
We pride ourselves on barbeque
Unrivaled anywhere
It’s not bragging when it’s true
See we’re the best, I swear

We’ve become world famous
In the shortest amount of time
See we’ve only been open
Since two-thousand and nine
And we’re rated five stars
Number one in the Zagat
People drive miles in their cars
Just to be where we’re at

Welcome to Franklin’s
Pull yourself up a  chair
It’s four or five hour wait
Just to get in here

Welcome to Franklin’s
You know how we do
Get on the line
If you want our barbeque
We open at eleven
And close when we are through
People from all over
Come here just like you






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

By: Cedric McClester

Women swarmed the streets
Of Washington and the USA
Putting the President on notice
That they don’t intend to play
And he can’t take away
Everything that they’ve gained
To make America great again
Had better be explained

Women swarmed the streets
Some called it ***** power
Their numbers were increasing
Each and every hour
Even over seas
Their voices could be heard
So trying to keep them down
At that point was absurd

Women swarmed the streets
They came from everywhere
And every ethnic group
Was represented there
In all stripes and colors
Of the rainbow see
Expressing their desire
To have him let them be

Women swarmed the streets
It’s not to be believed
How their numbers kept increasing
Who in the world conceived
That two women from Hawaii
Would have been the trigger
For a demonstration and march
That just got bigger and bigger










Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By Cedric McClester

War and unrest everywhere we turn
What will it take for us to learn
How many flags do we need to burn
Before we develop mutual concern
It's the human condition we're mired in
That makes us enemies instead of friends
We need to atone for our mutual sins
Right here and now is where it begins

Hate is a cancer that needs to be cured
It's the human condition we can't afford
Love is the answer we haven't explored
In a world of confusion we need accord

There's enough food for us to feed
Every person or nation that has the need
There's no excuse for wanton greed
It's not required for us to succeed
Tell me what are we citizens for
If the rich are the only ones getting more
Why shouldn't they help the needy and poor
Just like Jesus said a long time before

Hate is a cancer that needs to be cured
It's the human condition we can't afford
Love is the answer we haven't explored
In a world of confusion we need accord

Haven't you heard a word that I said
Or must I hold a sword over your head
We cannot live in constant dread
Without peace and justice we can't get ahead

Hate is a cancer that needs to be cured
It's the human condition we can't afford
Love is the answer we haven't explored
In a world of confusion we need accord

We argue whether global warming is near
Then continue to pollute the atmosphere
Is it any wonder the sky isn't clear
And the ozone layer gets thinner each year
We have to protect our natural resources
Cos we don't have many other recourses
But too many of us tend to be remorseless
Despite the signs of the natural forces

Hate is a cancer that needs to be cured
Love is the answer we haven't explored
In a world of confusion we need accord
It's the human condition we can't afford

War and unrest everywhere we turn
What will it take for us to learn
How many flags do we need to burn
Before we develop mutual concern
It's the human condition we're mired in
That makes us enemies instead of friends
We need to atone for our mutual sins
Right here and now is where it begins
  
Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

It wasn’t ******
By intent
Said his lawyer
It was fear
Of abandonment
That compelled him
To strike her in her head
Leaving her still breathing but close to dead

Abandoned by his father
At an early age
Though his father was a drunk
It still left him enraged
Like a Bengal tiger trapped in a cage

After committing the grisly act
He traveled 100 miles
To confess in fact
Confession they say
Is good for the soul
But the police were called
Once his story was told
And arrived at the scene before the body was cold

Abandoned by his father
At an early age
Though his father was a drunk
It still left him enraged
Like a Bengal tiger trapped in a cage

The Scarsdale ******
Was what it was called
The two hailed from Yale
So the public was appalled
Ultimately justice was stalled
He got one to twenty-five
And that was all
The victim’s parents were naturally galled

In short order
He was parolled
He’s now in New Mexico
From what I’m told
Coordinating counseling
In the mental health mold
The Lord may have forgiven him
But her parents are still cold

Abandoned by his father
At an early age
Though his father was a drunk
It still left him enraged
Like a Bengal tiger trapped in a cage

It wasn’t ******
By intent
Said his lawyer
It was fear
Of abandonment
That compelled him
To strike her in her head
Leaving her still breathing but close to dead























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

By: Cedric McClester

It’s just a cogent observation
We never was a civilized nation
So what’s the point in now losing patience
With the fact that we’ve been complacent
About gun violence as you might have guessed
Has us returning  to the wild wild West
‘Cos the bullets fly with remarkable success
And so few of us rise up to  even contest

We never was a civilized nation
Let the so-called Indians make that citation
Based on their years of deprivation
With seemingly little or no cessation
Ask the victims of the atom bomb
Whose shockwaves could be felt form Japan  to Guam
Had them on their knees reciting the 23rd Psalms
When the mushroom cloud settles there was an irie like calm

We never was civilized
And that’s a sad fact
Today we can Google every single act
Of past atrocities from way way back
No sense in exceptionalists becoming outraged
When the examples are there page after page
Under a glaring spotlight they’re center stage
Ask the African slaves who were shackled and caged

We never were civilized
So the chickens came home to roost
And they didn’t even have to be induced
Once the hounds of hell had been cut loose
Now they’re asking, “What we gonna do/”
See this didn’t just happen out of the blue
And it’s clear to us there has to be a missing *****
When the Gog and Magog are getting through




Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

He was the king
And his reign was long
Over seven decades
Still going strong
His queen was Lucile
But now that he’s gone
She’ll be in morning
From now on

The king is dead
Hear what I said
The king is dead
Hear what I said
The king is dead
Long live the blues
The king is dead
Who’ll fill his shoes

Born in the Mississippi delta
But believe you me
No one sung the blues
Quite like B.B.
He was the king
True blues royalty
And we are enriched
By his long legacy

The king is dead
Hear what I said
The king is dead
Hear what I said
The king is dead
Long live the blues
The king is dead
Who’ll fill his shoes

We’re gonna miss him
“Bout that there’s no doubt
Who’ll fill his shoes
We’ll have to figure out
Though it won’t be easy
To have that kind of clout
Do y’all understand
What I’m talking about

The king is dead
Hear what I said
The king is dead
Hear what I said
The king is dead
Long live the blues
The king is dead
Who’ll fill his shoes

He sang so many songs
Like The Thrill Is Gone
How Blue Can You Get
And I could go on
To Know You is To Love You
The list is so long
And we’re thankful to God
That B.B. was born

The king is dead
Hear what I said
The king is dead
Hear what I said
The king is dead
Long live the blues
The king is dead
Who’ll fill his shoes


























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

By: Cedric McClester

All of them
Must be unhinged
They shot that young boy
For revenge
Do they feel guilt
No not a tinge
Their actions
Makes you wanna cringe

In the cold streets
Of Chirac
That’s the way
‘dem gangsters act

It was the father
They were after
Relating the crime
Provoked laughter
Now what was funny
I don’t know
Like the depth of depravity
Some will go

In the cold streets
Of Chirac
That’s the way
‘dem gangsters act

Their deranged plan
Just causes tears
They planned to cut off
His fingers and ears
And that was depraved and bold
If the truth be told
That boy was only
Seven years old

What the hell
Is going on
How could things
Get that far wrong
And why’d their partners
Go along
I want some answers
To this song

In the cold streets
Of Chirac
That’s the way
‘dem gangsters act

It was the father
They were after
Relating the crime
Provoked laughter
Now what was funny
I don’t know
Like the depth of depravity
Some will go





















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

By: Cedric McClester

We’ve become a multi-cultured nation
Which has caused nativists to lose their patience
When it comes to things like immigration
They won’t even entertain arbitration
See all they want is their country back
As if indigenous people weren’t a true fact
It’s not as simple as white or black
Or the sound of their guns going clack clack clack

In the face of their never ending nagging fear
Their end-game has become crystal clear
But there’s no returning to that yesteryear
By polluting the planet and its atmosphere
Their ideas are clearly abstract
They’re constantly trying to make time go back
Even when they have the deck stacked
Cuz time moves forward, it doesn’t retract

Politicians are busy seeking NRA funds
While bullets take down their daughters and sons
They’ll do anything at all to keep their guns
And shear ignorance comes from the tip of their tongues
How many of ‘em have to violently die
Before they can figure out the reason why
They insist on telling themselves a lie
The Second Amendment is a mere alibi

America’s no longer is an all white conclave
Of disappearing Indians and subservient slaves
Full of wealthy rulers and low-heeled knaves
Who are indoctrinated into believing only Jesus saves
America isn’t what it once was
And it doesn’t do what it says that it does
It sells a dream that once was the buzz
Wrapped up in cobwebs and now full of fuzz





































Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights resered

By: Cedric McClester

Experience they say
Is the best teacher
Sometimes that's what it takes
For the message to reach us
But it's only gained
Through learning life's lessons
From infancy
Straight past adolescence

Thank God
For life's lessons
The struggles
And the blessings
All the things
He's enabled me to see
What I've taken from those lessons
Is what makes up the essence'
Of the person
That I chose to be

I could have been
A block hugger
Though I didn't chose to be
A murderer or a mugger
But neither one is me
I could have been most anything
That I chose to be
But it's life's lessons
That makes me what you see

Thank God
For life's lessons
The struggles
And the blessings
All the things
He's enabled me to see
What I've taken from those lessons
Is what makes up the essence'
Of the person
That I chose to be

There are ups and downs
That we all go through
Which impacts upon
The things we choose to do
But they're all a part
of life's many lessons
Illustrated by
Our struggles and our blessings




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

By: Cedric McClester

I know what it is we saw
On the streets of Baltimore
Everything we should abhor
Burning, looting and much more
As our history has shown
Once contentious seed are sown
Violence that we can’t condone
Begins when the first stone is thrown

Once we loose the savage beast
And opportunists start to fleece
Their local businesses decrease
And there’s no justice or no peace
Deprivation is the aftermath
Once people choose a violent path
For some it’s fun and so they laugh
But they don’t know much about math

Whole communities disappear
As rioters stand around and cheer
Once the smoke has a chance to clear
We find it’s worst than we had feared
What began as an  expression of pain
Rapidly denigrated before it changed
Which often happens when police are estranged
From communities they police when there’s no exchange

Violence never is the answer
Cos it can metastasize like a cancer
It never was an agenda advancer
Nor a valid argument enhancer
So let’s not try to pretend
That there can be any other end
Nor a position that we can defend
Can I surmise we comprehend?


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

By: Cedric McClester

She has every right
To disparage gay marriage
But her work
As a city clerk
Requires her compliance
With the law
Not her defiance
That’s for sure

Also in addition
Religious prohibition
Doesn’t give her permission
Or added ammunition
To disobey the law
When she should just withdraw
From her City Clerk position
If she’s on a mission

She was duly elected
And it was expected
That the law would be respected
Instead she elected
Despite the legal briefs
To insert her own beliefs
And disobey the law
Never mind the oath she swore

When the judge sent her to jail
And refused to set a bail
I think he hit the nail
Her contempt could not prevail
Though she became a cause celebre
On the worldwide web
And they finally set her free
Thanks to Mike Huckabee

Cedric McClester, Copyright 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I don’t think you actually understand
I’m from Bodymore, Murderland
Where crime is rampart and has the upper hand
And you can be killed upon demand
Drugs and bodies are all over the streets
But there’s no wire that defeats
This sad situation just repeats
Among poor people that one meets

We’re routinely profiled by the police
Who treat us as if we're savage beasts
We don’t have justice nor any peace
And that’s to say the very least
Our lives are very precarious
So pardon me if I occasionally cuss
Lucky you don’t have to live like us’
We're here today and gone like dust

It ain’t easy living on the bottom
Name your poisons and you know we got’em
Lost a loved one. someone probably shot him
The suspected police, I’m glad they caught ‘em
Yeah, things have gotten tragically out of hand
I’m not kickin’ either dirt or sand
I'm just talkin' 'bour Bodymore, Murderland
Even though you know that I can

Before the riot we were ignored
No one cared you can rest assured
Now they’re sayin,’ Oh my Lord
Even the White House is aboard
I guess we had to raise a ruckus
To get all eyes focused on us
Will they make changes, you know they must
They can't expect us to believe and trust



© Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2022.

I’m closer to death
Than I ever was before
But I’m not letting that
Bother me anymore
One day sooner or later
Death and me will meet
And he’ll lay his mantel
At my feet

Then whisper forcefully
Come with me
To a land beyond
What you presently see
Where you will be
For eternity
In a grave
With an endless fraternity

From me ya see
There’s no escape
Once I cover you
In my velvet drape
And take you to
A new landscape
Where your future
Will begin taking shape

Whether it will be
Heaven or hell
Only God up above
Can actually tell
After His angel
Rings your death knell
And you have been faced
With your final bell








Cedric McCleser, Copyright © 2022.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

They **** more Muslims
Than anyone else
Which is a true indication
That they hate themselves
They claim to be Muslim
But are they in fact
When taking innocent lives
Is an un-Islamic act

Innocent blood shed
Indiscriminately
Is forbidden by the Qu’ran
And it’s plain to see
That they’re not Muslim
And that is key
Even if that’s what
They claim to be

Islamic terror
Is misuse of terms
At best it’s an error
But some plant those germs
Insisting that’s how
They should be labeled
And by so doing
Our enemies are enabled

I’ve heard it said
That ignorance Is bliss
And clearly that saying
Would apply to this
We tend to fear
That which we don’t know
And as it relates to Islam
We have a long way to go







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

A baby riding in a car
On the Easter holiday
Lost his life just that quick
Cos a bullet went astray
A young girl walkin with some friends
Soon to graduate
Will not now nor will she ever
A bullet sealed her fate
What the hell is goin on
Can you give me an answer
Why do bullets **** more of us
Than heart attacks or cancer
I’ve been tryin to understand
Listener what you say
Could it be something (that was planted)
In our DNA

The ravages of the savages
Can be felt on the streets
Where innocent bystanders
Often catch the heat
From those bullet-riddled operas
That all too frequently repeat

The examples are there
For us to find
Where should I begin
Pick up any newspaper
The list just doesn’t end
Of people who’ve been slain (unnecessarily)
Must we be subjected
To the violence that we see
We too are entitled
To the pursuit of happiness
So why is it that we’re content
To settle for much less
Haven’t we buried enough
Daughters and also sons
For us to be sick and tired
Of the violence and the guns

The ravages of the savages
Can be felt on the streets
Where innocent bystanders
Often catch the heat
From those bullet-riddled operas
That all too frequently repeat

Call it an indictment
If that’s how you choose to view it
But nine times out of ten
Who are the ones that do it
In our own communities
Self-hatred runs real deep
And so we **** each other
As if walkin in our sleep
If we are the problem
Then we can be the cure
And if we put a stop to this
It won’t happen anymore
How many sad funerals
Must each of us attend
Of a beloved relative
Or a real close friend

The ravages of the savages
Can be felt on the streets
Where innocent bystanders
Often catch the heat
From those bullet-riddled operas
That all too frequently repeat

Most of us will concede
It doesn’t make no sense
What will it take for us to develop
Zero tolerance

The ravages of the savages
Can be felt on the streets
Where innocent bystanders
Often catch the heat
From those bullet-riddled operas
That all too frequently repeat

They have no right to take away
What they can’t give back
Human life should be respected
As a matter of fact
This given is ignored
By the savages in our mist
Who’d rather pull out a gun
Than fight you with their fists
Clearly they are cowards
And it’s obvious
That none of them are marksmen
Judging by how frequently they miss
Why should we be sympathetic
Though they’ll make the claim
That it was just an accident
Because they ******* aim

Most of us will concede
It doesn’t make no sense
What will it take for us to develop
Zero tolerance

The ravages of the savages
Can be felt on the streets
Where innocent bystanders
Often catch the heat
From those bullet-riddled operas
That all too frequently repeat



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

By: Cedric McClester,

Today everything
Is *******
There’s no subtlety
It’s all overstated
Some love it
While others hate it
Others yet
Like to debate it

Is it heaven
Or is it hell
Nowadays
It’s hard to tell
Everyone’s
Under Shaytan’s spell
It’s very clear
All isn’t well

Some celebrate
While others disparage
The mere notion of
Gay marriage
They just want
What you and me
Take for granted
Don’t you see

Is it heaven
Or is it hell
Nowadays
It’s hard to tell
Everyone’s
Under Shaytan’s spell
It’s very clear
All isn’t well

Now transgenders
Have made the call
For the right to go
Into any stall
Some tend to stumble
While others fall
They find the issue
An order too tall

Is it heaven
Or is it hell
Nowadays
It’s hard to tell
Everyone’s
Under Shaytan’s spell
It’s very clear
All isn’t well

Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

If I may, let me give you the nexus
Of five biker gangs in Waco Texas
Clearly with super fast reflexes
Who became deadly as well as reckless
They shot up Twin Peaks, their recruitment place
Nine of ‘em were killed in any case
And just as you might have assumed it
Many more were seriously wounded

But unarmed demonstrator’s chants
Of no justice no peace
Calls for volleys of tear gas at the very least
And tanks to move in along with the police
But not in Waco where the violence increased
I don’t get it, but am I suppose to
Why the system does the things that it do
But that doesn’t mean I don’t wish I knew

If you’re looking for
Any semblance of sameness
Pursuing that end would only be aimless
Until recently all five were nameless
Despite identifiers on the back of their vests
Now on the other hand, if they were black
They’d be called nothing short of a mad wolf pack
And the National Guard would have had to react

The Cossacks and Banditos
Are two names that emerged
Now there are fewer of ‘em  
Since they’ve been purged
It became very clear that they were on the verge
Of reeking all out havoc and mayhem
Forcing the cop to arrest and slay ‘em
As they ferociously tried to somehow delay ‘em




Copyright © 2015  Cedric McClester.   All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

If not for the pills
Doctors once prescribed
The musician Prince
Might still be alive
Along with others who
Sought similar relief
Because their stories too
Ended in grief

If not for the greed
On Big Pharma’s part
The opioid epidemic
Right from the start
Might not have grown
To epic proportions
Because of ignorance
And outright distortions

If not for the relaxed
Government regulations
We might not now
Be at our battle stations
Trying to reverse
What’s sweeping our nation
Because opioids doesn’t
Go on vacation

If not for the prevalence
Of the fentanyl drug
And its purveyors
Who are typically smug
Then we might not have
Gotten mugged
In the way that we have
By this deadly drug


            Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.