By: Cedric McClester

He talks about vetting
Muslims on the stump
But my question is
Who vets that chump
He’ll say anything
Just to get a bump
I know a tall bridge
From which he can jump

He wants to make
This country great again
For people like him
The whitest of  men
While he doesn’t say it
The message he sends
Is racist in nature
And he makes no amends

Who elected him
Or said he could be
The grand arbiter
Of people like me
Hasn’t he heard
That I was born free
He’s that obnoxious
And too blind to see

If you were to ask him
He’ll tell you he’s rich
And while that may be
Fortunes can switch
He might have a stroke
Wouldn’t that be a *****
And find he’s reduced to
A grimace or twitch























Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015. All rights reserved.

































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 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

He vows to build a fence
Along the Mexican border
By fiat
Through executive order
And his fingers
Are getting shorter and shorter
Ask those who know him
Like his wife or his daughter

He vows to build a pipeline
Across Indian land
Sympathizers and environmentalist
Will just have to understand
He’s creating jobs
Like the his supporters demand
Cracking down on Muslim immigrants
By having them banned

He vows to undo
All that Obama’s done
For him it could be called
Just having fun
He keeps going back
To the election he won
Caught up in the clouds
While ignoring the sun

He vows to make America
Great once again
At least that’s what he says
As only he can
I guess you could say
He’s an unusual man
Lots of folks like him
But I’m not a fan







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I’m afraid, my friend
He wants this country
White again
But he must have forgotten
The Indian
Who was here,
Before he
Arrived back then

It’s easy
Enough,
For him to forget
That he owes
The Red man
A great big debt
But I haven’t said
Nothing yet

What he owes ‘em
He can never repay
After taking their
Precious land away
And killing them in droves
Like it was okay
After breaking every treaty
Which is  just to say

Fact of the matter,
This country never was white
You see, it was the Red Man’s
By birthright
But he was engaged
In a losing fight
Against savages
Who had superior might





Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

The Russians
Are paying the Taliban
To **** our troops
In Afghanistan
And the situation’s
Gotten out of hand
Cuz the President hasn’t
Taken a stand

You’re **** tootin
They’ve been shootn’
And the President
Was raised on Fig Nootins
But one thing’s for sure
He won’t be disputin’
Anything said
By Vladimir Puin

When questioned, he said
That he wasn’t briefed
Which is something that
Naturally strains belief
Because if he wasn’t
That means good grief
The country is missing
A Commander and Chief

All we have
Is an obese slob
Who clearly isn’t
Doing his job
It’s enough to make
Your heart throb
Like that movie star
Billy Bob













Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

In the morning when we rise
While the sleep's still in our eyes
We praise God for heaven's sake
Because we're healthy and awake
And we still can make amends
For our trespasses and sins
It's high time we recognize
He's the Highest of the Highs
He's the Highest of the Highs
He's the wisest of the wise
And it's time we recognize
His truth is on the rise
Come whatever or what may
He's what gets us through our day
God is with us heaven knows
Through our high times and our lows
But it seems that we forget
Just how much we're in his debt


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

By: Cedric McClester

His conspiracy theories
Are making the rounds
Like the birther issue
As absurd as it sounds
Now it’s election fraud
In many states and towns
And nothing he says
Seems out of bounds

Millions and millions
Though it may sound odd
Have been accused
Of election fraud
But where is the proof
Bring out the truth squad
To blow a hole through it
Just like a petard

Now they say his power
Is all but absolute
Because Congress and the Supreme Court
Have thus far been mute
Never mind the Constitution
Entering the dispute
See it’s just a matter of time
Before he’s given the boot

Just because he says it
Doesn’t make it true
But he feels most people
Don’t have a clue
So he’s spreading fear
We observed as it grew
And much like the Boogie Man
He too is saying boo

















Cedric McClester, Copyright ©2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

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

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

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

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



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

By: Cedric McClester

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

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

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

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








Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: ibn Herbert

Judging by his nomenclature
He’s a heretic by nature
But that doesn’t make him hate cha
He’d be more apt to debate ya
About matters of the spirit
When he gathers you to hear it
Whenever that’s the case
At his Sunday morning worship space

And what you have to understand
About his traveling caravan
Is they have no clergyman
Passing out the collection pan
No, what you see is what you get
And you’d get caught up I bet
It’s an experience you won’t forget
Though you eyes well might get we

It’s quite an unusual sight
And just to give you a highlight
Your spirit gets lifted to the heights
As you join his acolytes
And I swear you’ll be amazed
At the variety of ways
That the whole thing interplays
When you learn how Jesus saves

For some it’s a transformation
When they’re open or they’re patient
And their salvation is nascent
Cuz they once were just complacent
For him it’s a spiritual affirmation
And a decadence ablation
That must be shared with the nation
So he’s manned his battle station





                Ibn Herbert Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

He don’t have a clue
But says he’s blacker than you
And while it might be true
Cuz there’s another way he grew
That tested his metal
He grew up in the ghetto
In a single parent home
By himself all alone

It was like day and night
Even though you both are bright
But it’s true you grew up white
And your mother took a flight
But she did her best to please ya
Rearing you in Indonesia
With an Indonesian mister
The father of your sister

And it looks like he will fail
On the presidential trail
But he took time to assail
You are not a true black male
Because in his sight
Your mother was white
And although that’s all right
You lack true black insight

He’s entitled to his opinion
But it doesn’t have dominion
Cuz his father was a Kenyon
So his head right now is spinning
Because he can relate
Having also dealt with hate
And I need to also state
It’s still an ongoing debate










Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

His silence speaks volumes to me
But that notwithstanding the key
just to be explicit that it’s implicit
Of what his past actions might be
So as this relates to Roy Moore
Who’s rotten right down to the core
He hasn’t gone on record
I know because I checked it

His silence speaks volumes to me
It’s so uncharacteristic ya see
It’s been laid at his feet
But, yet not one tweet
It’s odd behavior indeed
Although we’re pretty much agreed
That there’s nothing on his Twitter feed
Not one quotation we can read

His silence speaks volumes to me
The Donald seems not to be free
To address this issue
See he’d much rather kiss you
Than to say a negative word
The man’s not insane he’s absurd
If the thought just hasn’t occurred
That a statement is what’s preferred

His silence speaks volumes to me
Cos he refuses to cut down that tree
Has he suddenly become shy?
And if he has, tell me why
He doesn’t want to be quoted
See he hasn’t even emoted
Though his response are rarely sugar coated
And are more likely to be bloated





Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  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

They’re holding ‘em
At airports
Stopping them
From coming in
What’s being done
To some Muslims
Border on a sin
Is this the price
They pay
For their desire
To be free
It smacks
Of blatant racism
If you’re asking me

They’re holding ‘em
At airports
Like cattle
In a bin
In the name
Of homeland security
“Least that’s
What they pretend
The countries
Have been named
But none from Nine-Eleven
Their number
To be exact
Totals out at seven

They’re holding ‘em
At airports
Because of
Their religion
You can say
What you will
But he’s made
His decision
Based on
Little else
Other than
Irrational fear
In the face of principals
We used to hold dear



Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Hold on a moment
Let’s take a look
At all that’s happened
Since Sandy Hook
There’s been enough carnage
To write a book
But not enough
For us to get shook

The gun-maker
Big four
Have raked in dollars
Like there was a war
Six hundred plus million
Is hard to ignore
And their balance sheets
Have gone up for sure

Their sales go up
After every tragedy
They have no conscience
And that’s plain to see
But why we tolerate them
Is the real mystery
Because we don’t have to
And that should be key

When will they be
Held accountable
For all the triggers
That those murderers pull
Over whose eyes
Have they pulled the wool
And when will we all
Have a stomach full















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015. All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Holidays come
And holidays go
But none are like Christmas
None of ‘em I know
Nothing can compare
With that Christmas atmosphere
Or the gifts that we share
With the ones for whom we care

Holidays come
And holidays go
But not many of ‘em
Do we pray for snow
With sleigh bells ringing
And children’s eyes aglow
Or carolers singing
Familiar songs we know

Holidays come
And holidays go
But none of ‘em have
The same ebb and flow
As Christmas does each year
Which only goes to show
How it’s anticipated
Like we already know

Holidays come
And holidays go
But Christmas is special
Underneath the mistletoe
People are laughing
And shopping to and frow
For just the right gifts
That express the love you show





















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Something I’ve always hated
Is what needs to be stated
When the plot construction’s weighted
And the images are dated
Hollywood has black men fated
To wear dresses created
For us to be emasculated
Yet we’ve willingly participated
Think Tyler Perry’s Madea
Close your eyes and you can see her
From Good Times with its JJ
To Martin and his Shanaynay
They have always found a way way
To make buffoonery okay kay
And ***** are still on display
Up until this very day

Call it a judgment call
But when I think about Monster’s Ball
Staring Hallie Berry y’all
The whole race took a fall
Cos it left us all exhausted
Think of the stereotype it fostered
And the self-respect it lost her
Is what her Oscar cost her
When she said, “Make me feel gooood”
And that ******* pulled out his wood
Then plugged her where she stood
Cos she signaled to him he could
Her going crazy over getting’ his meat
Made me wanna throw-up in my seat
And to make the picture more complete
She put her body out there on Front Street

By now it’s plain to us she’s driven
But how she chooses to make their living
Doesn’t mean she has to be forgiven
Anymore than an Andre Piven
But enough on Hallie already
I don’t wanna make this thing too petty
There are others even more unsteady
Then a hot bowl of fresh spaghetti
I’m not a big fan of the Manns
I don’t like the way the camera pans
So when they’re on I make other plans
And my whole family understands
See I’ve had enough of those clowns
I don’t even need to meet the Browns
Which also probably explains
Why I haven’t reached out to the Paynes

Hollywood’s full of Harvey Weinsteins
In Gucci loafers and designer jeans
Creating havoc with off -camera scenes
While toying with some actor’s dreams
Now they’re falling like dominoes
But I guess that’s the way it goes
Like ******* up a producer’s nose
They feel invincible I suppose
But the actresses who feel embolden
No longer find themselves beholden
To the men who took advantage and sold ‘em
Everybody gets their turn to scold ‘em
In the wake of Kevin Spacey’s canards
A strong wind blew down his House of Cards
But isn’t that the way it always starts
Hollywood is full of broken hearts


Cedric McClester, Copyright (C) 2020. All rights reserved.

By: Rapadamus

Something I’ve always hated
Is what needs to be stated
When the plot construction’s weighted
And the images are dated
Hollywood has black men fated
To wear dresses created
For us to be emasculated
Yet we’ve willingly participated
Think Tyler Perry’s Madea
Close your eyes and you can see her
From Good Times with its JJ
To Martin and his Shanaynay
They have always found a way way
To make buffoonery okay kay
And ***** are still on display
Up until this very day

Call it a judgment call
But when I think about Monster’s Ball
Staring Hallie Berry y’all
The whole race took a fall
Cos it left us all exhausted
Think of the stereotype it fostered
And the self-respect it lost her
Is what her Oscar cost her
When she said, “Make me feel gooood”
And that ******* pulled out his wood
Then plugged her where she stood
Cos she signaled to him he could
Her going crazy over getting’ his meat
Made me wanna throw-up in my seat
And to make the picture more complete
She put her body out there on Front Street

By now it’s plain to us she’s driven
But how she chooses to make her living
Doesn’t mean she has to be forgiven
Anymore than an Andre Piven
But enough on Hallie already
I don’t wanna make this thing too petty
There are others even more unsteady
Then a hot bowl of fresh spaghetti
I’m not a big fan of the Manns
I don’t like the way the camera pans
So when they’re on I make other plans
And my whole family understands
See I’ve had enough of those clowns
I don’t even need to meet the Browns
Which also probably explains
Why I haven’t reached out to the Paynes

Hollywood’s full of Harvey Weinsteins
In Gucci loafers and designer jeans
Creating havoc with off -camera scenes
While toying with some actor’s dreams
Now they’re falling like dominoes
But I guess that’s the way it goes
Like ******* up a producer’s nose
They feel invincible I suppose
But the actresses who feel embolden
No longer find themselves beholden
To the men who took advantage and sold ‘em
Everybody gets their turn to scold ‘em
In the wake of Kevin Spacey’s canards
A strong wind blew down his House of Cards
But isn’t that the way it always starts
Hollywood is full of broken hearts

So I’ve laid my indictment out
It’s hard to find even one Boy Scout
Among any of ‘em who wheel clout
The evidence? (Beyond a shadow of a doubt)
And now that the charges have been lodged
And the jury panel has been charged
Even though it’s one great big hodge podge
Soon the verdict gonna be dislodged
Before that - they’ll try to cop a plea
They’re in treatment don’t cha see
And while all that well may be
It’s not enough to let them off free
Once their expensive lawyers fail
And if they can’t stay out on bail
They’ll be going straight off to jail
Because their checks are in the mail



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

By: Cedric McClester

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

By: Cedric McClester

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 read in the paper
The other day
How someone was beaten
Because they’re gay
Did their assailants hope
To beat it away?
And what does their behavior
Actually say?

Homosexualaity, they might
Not understand
But who said they had to
Become a fan?
In order for their minds
To be able to expand
People are as individual
As are grains of sand

Those who attack people
Because they’re gay
Question themselves
A lot of smart people say
Why else would they
Go out of their way?
In order to indicate
They don’t find it okay

What do their preferences
Have to do with them?
Nobody cares
About who they bend
Or whether they have
A happy end
So shouldn’t we all
Mind our own business then?







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I’m in the streets
Tryin to get some flow
I do what I gotta
When my paper’s low
But I love my baby
And she lets me know
That what we have
Can only grow

I’m as much hers
As she is mine
I love my baby
She’s a special kind
I did the crime
But she did my time
Hood love saved me
And it’s good love baby

I’m on my grind
Both night and day
I do what I do
For the pay
But she don’t care
What people say
My baby loves me
Anyway

I’m as much hers
As she is mine
I love my baby
She’s a special kind
I did the crime
But she did my time
Hood love saved me
And it’s good love baby

They found my stash
She took the weight
But some of y’all
Find it hard to relate
How could I
Let her go upstate
But for me it was life
Her less than eight

See I appreciate
The love she gave me
There’s no ifs ands
Buts or maybe
She’s the mashed potatoes
And I’m the gravy
Hood love saved me
And it’s good love baby

They found my stash
She took the weight
But some of y’all
Find it hard to relate
How could I
Let her go upstate
But for me it was life
Her less than eight

I’m as much hers
As she is mine
I love my baby
She’s a special kind
I did the crime
But she did my time
Hood love saved me
And it’s good love baby



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

By : Cedric McClester

I remember those games
That we used to play
I remember them all
Like it was yesterday
One two three red light
First you ran then stayed
You either won or lost
By the mistakes you made

Boys played rough games
Girls Hopscotch and Jacks
Until they both discovered
That opposites attract
Then the boys couldn’t wait
To get the girls on their backs
To get notches on their belts
For their number of sacks

I remember games like
Hot Beans and Butter
How you’d say it three times
Like you had a stutter
I remember when I put
Those games away
And I recall the new ones
That I learned to play

Boys played rough games
Girls Hopscotch and Jacks
Until they both discovered
That opposites attract
Then the boys couldn’t wait
To get the girls on their backs
To get notches on their belts
For their number of sacks

I remember them all
I remember their names
See we all grew up
And learned different games
For different rewards
We had different aims
But that’s how it is
For guys and dames

I’m a little bit older
But my soldier is *****
And as it gets bigger
It’s easier to detect
And the girls I approach
Often lose their self-respect
When the third drink goes down
But hey what the heck

The boys played rough games
Girls hopscotch and Jacks
Until they both discovered
That opposites attract
Then the boys couldn’t wait
To get the girls on their backs
And get notches on their belts
For their number of sacks

By: Cedric McClester

How am I doing?
I guess you could say
That I’m doing fine
I’m doing okay
Just tryna make it
Through another day
Though challenges often
Get in my way

Life can be a struggle
From day to day
More money more problems
Biggie used to say
But what would it be
With nothing in the way
To prevent my optimism
From being on display?

Every day above ground
Counts as a victory
When you consider
What the alternative could be
To opening your eyes
And being able to see
That life continues to be
A great mystery

Now is a good time
For me to explain
Life is comprised of
Some joy and pain
That’s how it’s been
And will always remain
So I hope these words
Aren't shared in vain









Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

How can you make me believe
That it’s that easy for you to leave
You say it’s over and we’re through
Did you ever love me like I loved you
If I meant anything to you at all
Then how can you make that kind of call
We didn’t even have a fight
Something about it doesn’t seem right

You’re telling me you need your space
Let’s part as friends in any case
Like it’s that easy to erase
The love that both of us embraced

Are we supposed to just be friends
When we still have some loose ends
I loved you too much to anticipate
That we would reach an expiration date
Or in this dichotomy I’d get caught
See it’s heart breaking to realize
That there was nothing
Behind your eyes

You’re telling me you need your space
Let’s part as friends in any case
Like it’s that easy to erase
The love that both of us embraced

I really don’t know
Where to go from here
It’s not as easy as it may appear
To make the transition
I’m just being sincere
I’d still want to kiss you
If you come near

(3rd Verse)
Don’t bother to give me any false hope
Of us getting back together
Just so I can cope
Cuz you can’t clean it
With a bar of soap
I’d still be confused
And feel disabused
Neither of which I’d ever choose

You’re telling me you need your space
Let’s part as friends in any case
Like it’s that easy to erase
The love that both of us embraced

How can you make me believe
That it’s that easy for you to leave
You say it’s over and we’re through
Did you ever love me like I loved you
If I meant anything to you at all
Then how can you make that kind of call
We didn’t even have a fight
Something about it doesn’t seem right

By Cedric McClester

How many black men
Have to die?
At the hands of cops
Who are quick to deny
That their blackness
Was the reason why
Their families now morn
And their friends now cry

How come it’s always
Deadly force?
Why don’t they choose
Another course?
But they don’t
Then lack remorse
For the dastardly actions
That they endorse

It’s always black men
Who in taking flight
Wind up dead
In the dark of night
And the cops should know
That it ain’t right
But they do it anyway
And they aren’t contrite

After Attorney Ben Crump
Has been reached
How many funerals
Must Reverend Sharpton preach?
For aggrieved families
Who are in the breach
Before the cop’s behavior
Has been impeached







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2021. All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

How come
It’s mostly us?
When cops decide
Their guns must bust
Yes it is
In God we trust
But you should
Understand our fuss

Shot seven times
In his back
Oh by the way
The man is black
A white boy
Shot two people dead
But police let him
Go home instead

Paralyzed still
Shackled to his bed
Where he’s going
They haven’t said
What’s the charge
It hasn’t been read
Would they prefer
That he was dead?

We are not
Equally treated
In an instance
Things get heated
Once we’re charged
It’s hard to beat it
When the judge says
Kindly be seated


Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2020.   All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

How come she didn’t
Speak out then?
The answer’s simple,
It’s because of men
She knew  
She would be denigrated
Second guessed
As well as hated

It doesn’t mean
She wasn’t hurt
Or that she wasn’t
Made to feel like dirt
Was it worth the price
She’d have to pay,
In order to publicly
Have her say?

Men in general
Have no idea
What it’s like to live
In that kind of fear
Of being shamed
Or exposed
To the whole world
So everybody knows

Those who are guilty
Of the act
Are so reluctant
To retract
Their counter narrative
Of the facts
In attempt to cover
Their own backs






Cedric McClester, Copyrights © 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

How could you know
My stress and strife
Your hatred cut me
Like a knife
But you’ve been privileged
All your life
With money a big house
And trophy a wife

How could you know
What I’ve been through
Unless you’ve walked
Inside my shoe
So don’t you dare act
Like you knew
While I’m the cork
And you’re the *****

How could you know
I have the blues
When you don’t see
What you refuse
You don’t acknowledge
I’m abused
While acting as if
You’re recused

How could you know
The depth of my pain
Unless I sit you down
To explain
Why it is
That you’re my bane
As long as you
Continue to reign










Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

My reflection
In the mirror
Doesn’t make
The image clearer
When a fog
Covers the glass
Like a smog
That doesn’t pass

I’m confused
You could say
Is this the price
That I must pay?
Or will my sins
Just pass away?
Tomorrow is
Another day

How did it
Get to this?
Whatever happened
To the bliss
Falling in love
Can be a risk
I’m hoping that
You get my gist

Guess you could say
My heart is broken
Now that I’ve finally
Spoken
So please accept
My humble token
Of the tears
That you’ve awoken




Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2020.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

How do you recover
From a past love you discover
Never went away?
Even though you say
You’ve gotten over it
Because you can’t admit
What your actions reveal
Your heart didn’t heal

A heart’s a fragile thing
And the joy that it can bring
Can be laced with sadness too
That some don’t make it through
To the other side
So their feelings are denied
It’s easier to pretend
That they’ve reached the end

So you think that it has past
You’ve come though it at last
But that’s merely an illusion
That gives you the false conclusion
That you recovered fast
And what’s past is really past
But the dye still has been cast

How do you recover
From a past love you discover
Never went away?
Even though you say
You’ve gotten over it
Because you can’t admit
What your actions reveal
Your heart didn’t heal


























Majanava Music, Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

How do you spell Treason?
With a capital “T”
It’s the reason he equivocated
For the whole world to see
So why did he do it?
Well that’s no mystery,
He’s being white-mailed
And that is what’s key

How do you explain
His abysmal behavior?
See, some of you thought
That he, like the Savior
Walked on water
Because he just played ya
An amorphous base
Is all that he’s made ya

He is a traitor
There’s no doubt about it
Let’s go to the roof tops
So we can shout it
You see in my mind
This needs to be touted
Because this train-wreck
Needs to be rerouted

Now is the time
For us to get to it
He’s never been fit
And most of us knew it
If we mention impeachment
Republicans eschew it
That notwithstanding
It’s time that we do it






Cedric Mcclester, Copyright © 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Besides that Mrs. Lincoln
How’d you like the play
The third act was something
Most people say
It was a laugh a minute
Before that dastardly display
By John Wilkes Booth
Who came to ruined the day

Besides that Mrs. Lincoln
How’d you like the play
If you had to review it
What would you say
Would you give it four stars
Or something in between
We’re all wonderin’
If you know what I mean

Besides that Mrs. Lincoln
How’d you like the play
Before it got cut short
In a terrible way
Too bad you and Mr. Lincoln
Didn’t get to stay
In your seats before
The ambulance took him away

Besides that Mrs. Lincoln
How’d you like the play
If you had to review it
What would you say
Would you give it four stars
Or something in between
We’re all wonderin’
If you know what I mean

John’s an old scene stealer
From way, way back
But killing the President’s
Wasn’t part of the act
Before jumping on stage
As a matter of fact
Then limping off
In the darkness he’s such a hack

It was a sad circumstance
Yes indeed
When you consider all the people
That Mr. Lincoln freed
It’s really to bad that a plot
Could succeed
Against such a man
Now we all need to take heed

Besides that Mrs. Lincoln
How’d you like the play
If you had to review it
What would you say
Would you give it four stars
Or something in between
We’re all wonderin’
If you know what I mean

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

By: Cedric McClester

My internal
Sense of self
Is unique to me
And no one else
It doesn’t have
To do with ***
So don’t take it
Out of context

Gender and
It’s Identity
Ain’t up to you
It’s up to me
Despite what you
May claim you see
Or use
When you’re defining me

Now I don’t care
How it sounds
Let me choose
My own pronouns
My pronouns are how
I Identify
You have no right
To ask me why

She or her
As it were
Them or they
Others might say
He or him
Identifies men
When it’s felt
Nothing else can








Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2021.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Yes, it's Cecil lying here
But is he really dead?
His outter shell is in repose
His soul light years ahead
Everyone must go one day
To the other side
And life for Cecil always was
A very bumpy ride

But he was only human
And he made a few mistakes
The lesson that we learn in life
Requires what it takes
Cecil learned his lesson well
And tried to make amends
Repenting to God above
For his many sins

So don't be quick to judge him
For none are qualified
And don't say if it weren't for this
he might not have died
But take comfort in knowing
As strange as it may seem
Sometimes it takes suffering,
For us to be redeemed




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

By: Cedric McClester

How long did he think,
He could keep it hidden?
That he’s out there doing
The Kremlin’s bidding
He’s a liar and a traitor
From where I’m sitting
And he loves the Russians
Now the pieces are fitting

Never a harsh word
Will he utter
When it comes to them
He’s soft as butter
Cos he’s compromised
And I didn’t stutter
He’s taking our nation
Right into the gutter

Other presidents
Would have been hung
For far much less
Than the things he’s done
If he went down 5th Avenue
And fired off a gun
To **** somebody
He wouldn’t run

He doesn’t understand
That justice will prevail
It happens every time
And it will never fail
Eventually he’s gonna
Wind up in jail
But he’s got enough money
To raise the bail







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2018. All rights reserved.

How long must we travel
Down this troubled road
Singling out people
That we should forebode
Because they’re dangerous
Or so that’s what we’re told
Cuz they have different beliefs
That the rest of us don’t hold

I’ve always been told
That we’re a melting ***
But if I might be so bold
The truth is that we’re not
And we’re not all equal
The way that we’ve been taught
When everybody doesn’t
Get an equal shot

There are those promoting
Separation and hate
And it’s well worth noting
The masses who relate
So few move the pieces
To bring about checkmate
So acrimony increases
And the hour's getting late

Those who have the need
To feel superior
By watching others bleed
In fact feel inferior
Although they might succeed
In ripping at our interior
Because they do indeed
Create such mass hysteria
































Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

How long would you guess?
That people will allow themselves
To be oppressed
Before they rise up nevertheless
And find a way to protest
Then ultimately plot
Their oppressor’s destruction
It’s a simple matter of logical deduction

How long would you guess?
It will take the people
To finally coalesce
Then put their battle armor on
More or less
In preparation for a war
They’ll soon address
Just to rid themselves of an abscess

How long would you guess?
Before it turns into
The wild wild west
With the pieces everywhere
Like a game of chess
Before it even gets to be checkmate
As a consequence or a matter of fate
Those who play the game I’m sure will relate

How long would you guess?
Before it all revolves
Into a ****** mess
As they attempt to get the whole thing
Off their chest
And businessmen in droves
Empty out their desks
Then all anyone will want to hear is, hell yes, yes!














Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

How many heartbeats are left?
For someone who created
The nation’s greatest theft
By stealing a national election
Leaving others bereft
How many heartbeats ‘til death?

How many heartbeats are left?
For someone who is heartless
Or lacks empathy at best
Just how many would you
Venture to guess
How many heartbeats ‘til death?

How many heartbeats are left?
I’m not just asking in jest
How long will his heart
Continue to compress
Before it stops beating in his chest
How many heartbeats ‘til death?

How many heartbeats are left?
I pose this strange question
Just merely to suggest
That the exact number
Can’t be assessed
How many heartbeats ‘til death?















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester


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

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

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

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







Copyright © 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester
For heaven’s sake
How many mistakes
Do you think God makes
We have to surrender
And accept our gender
When God is the vendor
There’s no transgenderr
Or returning to Sender

You’re engaging in perjury
Through plastic surgery
What in hell is the urgency
If you’re born a he
Then you can’t be a she
Though you might try to be
****** fluency
Is shear lunacy

You might make the cover
Of Vogue or some other
But soon you’ll discover
The equipment you cover
Won’t do your bidding
Who the hell are you kidding
It can’t stay hidden
If it’s overridden

I do sympathize
That you try to disguise
And improvise
What your mind denies
But a word to the wise
Open your eyes
Don't tell yourself lies
'Cos the truth still applies

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

By: Cedric McClester

How many of my people
Had to die
For the right to vote
That they now deny?
With their Jim Crow elections laws
Don’t ask me why
I think it’s as American
As apple pie?

So what’s a Republican
Supposed to do
When too many red states
Are turning blue?
And the voters seem to be
Of a darker hue
Than the Republican voters
That they’ve been  used to

Try though you may
To elicit a confession
They’ll say it’s anything
Other than voter suppression
But history has taught us
A hard learned lesson
That stops us from wondering
Or randomly guessing

The closest thing we have
To full citizenship
Is our right to vote
Which they’re trying to strip
But we’re not just gonna
Stand idly by
And watch what we fought for
Wither and  die





Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2021.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

How many records
Must be broken,
Before the President
Has plainly spoken?
About what it is
He plans to do
About the Corona Virus Flu
Cuz we all wish we knew!

While water is
An essential ingredient
But too much wasted time
Has been spent
Talking about how
Slow it flows
From a dishwasher
Or a garden hose

I don't care about
The Confederate flag
If it creates
An unnecessary lag
In getting back
The test results
After having to listen
To his childish insults

It took a while
To understand
That the President
Doesn't have a plan
That is to say
Other than
To get the economy
Up and running again

Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2020.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester,

How many times
Must it be repeated
Before the gun lobby
Is finally defeated
This sickness we have
Seems to be deep seated
If there’s a time table
Then we need to meet it

How many times
Must condolences
Be the only thing
That there is
Before we ask ourselves
What gives
Or it touches us
Where each of us lives

How many times
Must the same old excuses
Be the refrain
From our elected useless
In spite of the evidence
Of countless abuses
It’s insanity
One probably deduces

How many times
Must it be tolerated
Though most of us say
How much we hate it
How long will the gun advocates
Debate it
With arguments that
Have already been stated



















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

How many times
Must he be accused
Before people start
Believing the news
If he’s innocent
Then we’re confused
Because they swear to us
They’ve been abused

How many times
Will he deny
That he’s a monster
If it’s just a lie
Were they underage
And if so why
Should we believe
His weak alibi

How many times
Will we come to know,
They’ve just uncovered
Yet another video?
Of him and a young girl
Putting on a show
Of a pornographic nature
Helo, hello,hello!

How many times
Will he beat the charges,
That one of his victim’s
Testimony enlarges?
Before another jury
Finally discharges
A not guilty verdict
That  clearly disparages












Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

How many times
Does this scene
Have to be repeated
Before the NRA finally is defeated
This pathology is
Apparently deep-seated
Although that’s not the way
That we usually treat it

How many times
Must these shootings
Become breaking news
Or we hear the refuting of people who refuse
To give an inch on gun control
Despite those that we lose
We pay the consequences of
The choices that we choose

How many times
Are we prepared
To do the same old thing
We’ve all heard the stories
There’s a familiar ring
We’re practicing insanity
When will we feel the sting
Of what our inaction usually tends to bring

How many times
Must we hear the urgency of this message
Or be forced to rummage through
The aftermath and wreckage
Of lost and wounded lives
Whose sacrifice beckons
Us to make some changes
In these remaining seconds

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

By: Cedric McClester

How to get him to yes
Is anyone’s guess
But nevertheless
We’ll do our best
To try to persuade
Him to keep what he made
As his word starts to fade
Though it’s still on parade

How to get him to yes
And have him bless
What’s transgressed into a mess
I must confess
Is becoming a chore
Cos he keeps wanting more
And it’s hard to keep score
As he is to ignore

How to get him to yes
From wanting much less
Than our largesse at its best
Without having to regress
Is a conundrum
An sort of secundum
Where the prospect is glum
That we need to run from

How to get him to yes
Is no contest
Cos he’s just a pest
And I do not jest
Whose sole ambition
Is to change his position
While he has us fishing
He’s on his mission















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2021.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I’m hurt and I’m confused
Got a bad case of the blues
Opioid addiction’s old news
'Cos someone lit the fuse
And now you find it everywhere
In places where they didn’t care
But life indeed can be unfair
So they’ve become aware

Just say no was like denying
That whole communities were dying
Then we discovered they were lying
Iran Contra revealed them buying
Drugs that kept our communities addicted
Not in the least were they conflicted
‘Long as they thought it was restricted
To the areas that they conscripted

Because it has become systemic
Now it’s called an epidemic
And treatment is the new polemic
The rest I guess is academic
And so I wonder where to begin
Treatment was the thing back then
Until prevention made its way in
Now maintenance happens to be back again

Medical professionals now treat the affliction
That politely is known as opioid addiction
If they didn’t it would be dereliction
Of office treatment in their jurisdiction
Some of you may not be aware
That opioid addicts can get office care
For many of ‘em it’s an answer to a prayer
A stigma free environment beyond compare









Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

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

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

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

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


























© Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.