By: Cedric McClester

You must ask yourself
What manner of man
Would compare border migration
To Disney Land?
Then to heap insult
Upon those he never pities
He wants to send them all
To sanctuary cities

You must ask yourself
What manner of man,
Would label the FBI ****
Like the President can?
Then say the Mueller probe
Was just a giant plot
To overthrow him
Which we know it was not

You must ask yourself
What manner of man,
Would let his rhetoric
Get that much out of hand?
Especially one elected to lead
Make you wonder if
He’s the one
We the American people need

You must ask yourself
What manner of man
Would address the NRA
Much like kicking sand
In the face of those
Shot in that Synagogue
Not to mention other atrocities
Of which there’s a backlog








Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  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

Bless his heart
What Pablo is to art
He says he’s been from the start
Only miles apart
Just like Michaelangelo
He wants us to know
There are Sistine Chapels
In his flow

His actions show
Like a neo-Van Gogh
He’s a seasoned pro
Though rolling in dough
He doesn’t have to be coaxed
Into using broad strokes
Like the comparisons he invokes
Or the **** he smokes

As it relates to genre
He’s the big bwana
A multi entendre
We never know what he’s gonna
Bring out of the vault
Like Disney, Walt
That’s a sensual assault
But that’s his gestalt

And now the new wave
He’s become concave
Says he’s been saved
Though he once was depraved
Still we don’t know
Since he’s given up blow
What he has in escrow
Or the future will show










Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

What’s authentic
And what is not
When you’re trapped inside
The body that you got
And you say to yourself
I don’t think I’m hot
And you dream about transitioning
More frequently than not

What’s authentic
And what is not
When you’re a married man
Whose wife is hot
But she evokes your envy
Because of the body she’s got
So you begin trying on her dresses
And her other things a lot

What’s authentic
And what is not
When you grow up on TV
As a celebrity’s tot
And they say that you
Don’t smile an awful lot
Despite the many gifts
That plastic surgery brought

What’s authentic
And what is not
I’ve been thinkin’
About it a lot
Seems everybody
Gets a shot
But the fame game
Puts ‘em on the spot









Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

Tell me what’s become
Of the hip hop nation?
Have you heard
The latest allegations
Bam’s been caught
In some sticky situations
It’s becoming hard
To hold on to our patience

People scratch their heads
And ask who knew
Then wonder where this
All is headed to
Ask the young men
That he used to do
They’re coming out the woodwork
Wouldn’t you

Tell me what’s become
Of the hip hop nation?
Have you heard
The latest allegations
Bam’s been caught
In some sticky situations
It’s becoming hard
To hold on to our patience

Ain’t it crazy when a pioneer
Of the genre is someone to fear
But let me make it cogently crystal clear
These are allegations that we hear

Most of us are
Totally in shock
Not the brother
Who gave us Planet Rock
But be that as it may
That’s still the talk
Though his Zulu Nation
May still wanna bock

Tell me what’s become
Of the hip hop nation?
Have you heard
The latest allegations
Bam’s been caught
In some sticky situations
It’s becoming hard
To hold on to our patience

Unfortunately we’re left
With our doubt
The Statute of Limitations
Has run out
As alleged victims
Stomp then scream and shout
Where there’s smoke
There’s fire they all tout

Tell me what’s become
Of the hip hop nation?
Have you heard
The latest allegations
Bam’s been caught
In some sticky situations
It’s becoming hard
To hold on to my patience





















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

By: Cedric McClester

What’s happened to the neighborhood
They say it’s gone from bad to good
And if it has then knock on wood
Cos some folks thought it never could
Change the profile that it had
And become the latest fad
But in a sense it’s kinda sad
That now we can’t afford a pad

Remember when the neighborhood
Was where we fled from if we could
We should have stayed right where we stood
Cos now that real-estate is good

It’s as inevitable as it’s strange
The only constant is the change
That witnesses things rearrange
In neighborhoods that ran the range
Of urban ghettos caught up in blight
That once inspired suburban flight
Whether that was wrong or right
Squarely lies in the beholder’s sight

Remember when the neighborhood
Was where we fled from if we could
We should have stayed right where we stood
Cos now that real-estate is good

The politicians must have lied
As the will of the people was defied
And mom and pop stores slowly died
While neighborhoods have gentrified

Remember when the neighborhood
Was where we fled from if we could
We should have stayed right where we stood
Cos now that real-estate is good

They’ve now confirmed our worst fears
Today nobody stops and stares
At those urban pioneers
Who’ve infiltrated everywheres
Now it isn’t based on race
Which in the past was the case
The economics has replaced
Past issues that were at the base

The politicians must have lied
As the will of the people was defied
And mom and pop stores slowly died
While neighborhoods have gentrified

Remember when the neighborhood
Was where we fled from if we could
We should have stayed right where we stood
Cos now that real-estate is good

What’s happened to the neighborhood
They say it’s gone from bad to good
And if it has then knock on wood
Cos some folks thought it never could
Change the profile that it had
And become the latest fad
But in a sense it’s kinda sad
That now we can’t afford a pad




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

By: Cedric McClester

Coronavirus
In the air
Coal pollution
What’s he care?
Environmentally
He’s unaware
That our planet
Has little time to spare

All his predecessor
Did
He wants gone
But won’t admit
He’s *******
About that bit
Obama laid on him
Before Osama was hit

His environmental
Chief
Is a former
Lobbyist and thief
That Causes us
Nothing but grief
Giving coal and oil
Too much relief

Now the nail
Is in the coffin
For our healthcare
He attacks ofen
And his position
Will not soften
As long as his
Power is awesome







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2020.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

What should we deduce
About those killers on the loose
How’d they get the juice
Who helped them go vamoose
The authorities were confused
As to how the system got abused
Who was it that they used

The answers were forthcoming
What they discovered was numbing
About the racket they were running
They had wits and they were cunning
Prompting the warden to say, “ I’ll be ******!”
Like they say, “Cherchez la femme.”
Find the woman, “Yes I am, “
Now she’s locked up in the can

It goes together like hat and glove
We call it crazy, she called it love
They were all she was thinking of
So their well being she placed above
Her own job security
She was blind and couldn’t see
What the repercussions could be
She wanted them to be free

Twenty-one days out and running
Like I said the pair was cunning
They went right out through the plumbing
Their escape, nothing short of stunning
But the police picked up the trail
That at first had gotten stale
And for one to no avail
That’s the first one that  got nailed

So by the time you read this poem
I betcha all the facts are known
Prisoners are mistake prone
And the survivor, just flesh and bone
His escape plan, no doubt fractured
He’ll be diminished in prison stature
Finally be’ll be dead or captured
And his picture will be plastered

Copyright © 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

A woman goes to work
Her boss thinks she’s his perk
‘Cos he’s your average ****
But he might as well be “Blerk”
He knows she’s gotta live
Besides what’s the alternative?
But some of you say ****
Why don’t she just quit

But she’s under the gun
So it’s easier said than done
She doesn’t work for fun
Her household must be run
It’s between a rock and a hard place
She finds herself, in any case
Caught in a dilemma
So her options are seeming slimmer

See the choice she could choose
Some of you might well refuse
But walk a mile inside her shoes
Before you decide to accuse
Her of making bad decisions
Don’t be guilty of divisions
The only way that you can fight it
Is to remain united

Women who’ve been through
This situation, say "Me too!"
Like no one ever knew
Or had the slightest clue
As to what’s been going on
Even though it’s very wrong
It's gonna stop, at least we’re hoping
Now that it’s out in the open



Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2018.  All rights reserved.'

By: Cedric McClester

So what’s the basis
For calling him racist?
It’s the way that he acts
As a matter of fact
See it’s not an attack
It’s a statement of fact
Cuz those he’s shellacked
Are mainly brown or black

This isn’t a spoof
I have the proof
The evidence on the shelf
Speaks for itself
And his dog whistles
Are for the ears
Of like-minded people
Or so it appears

Cuz some do relate
To his message of hate
Which he places
In our collective faces
So believe and trust
He will divide us
Like never before
Which we can’t ignore

He does what he does
And he’s as he always was
A blatant race baiter
An unabashed hater
Spreading his hemlock
Wherever he goes
So don’t be in shock
Cuz everyone knows











Cedric McClester, Copyright ©2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Yeah he’s tasteless,
And abrasivc
But what’s the basis,
For calling him racist?
See he always was
Based on what he does
And that’s because
He loves their applause

Though he objects
One suspects
His supporter’s intellects
Have defects
He himself stated
That he loves
The undereducated
And the easily agitated

Friends of his lie
Saying he’s a nice guy
And no wonder why
He knows who to buy
Nice guy is a stretch
He’s actually a wretch
Must I draw the sketch
He likes to kvetch

He built the foundation
For his racist citation
There’s enough causation
To circumvent abrogation
But golly gee ****
He is who he is
Hope that answers the quiz
As to him being racist


















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

What’s the fuss?
I hear their guns bust
And they’re killin’ us
So where’s the trust
I can see the hate
But he doesn’t relate
Instead, he calculates
Then seals our fate

Is our level of self-hatred
So deep
That our petty animosities
Won’t keep
And we don’t stop to look
Before we leap
Until predictably our blood
Starts to seep

Is anybody  out there
Listenin’ to me?
It’s a strange kinda
Pathology
That we so
Commonly see
And it doesn’t
Have to be

What’s wrong with us?
It’s hard to say
But it’s been documented
Anyway
If tomorrow is to be
A brighter day
Then it’s up to us to lead the way



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

By: Cedric McClester

What’s the message
That you bring?
If morality
Doesn’t mean a thing
You lock those kids up
In your Cages
Then blame Obama for it
And that enrages

What’s the message
That you’re sending
About Obama
When you’re upending
Everything
That man established
Like all he did
Was only average

What’s the message
That you’re instilling
When in their countries
The **** and killin’
Happens on
A frequent basis
But I guess I get it
You’re a racist

What’s the message
That’s contained
In squalid camps
Where kids remain
And it is beyond belief
That they can’t bathe
Or brush their teeth
Or seemingly receive relief





















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.. All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Tell me what’s the nexus
Of their sit down for breakfast
Or what the full context is
And who picks up the check
The Reverend I suspect
Likes to leave them all perplexed
Was the breakfast an endorsement
Or a not so subtle hint

What does it all mean
When a candidate is seen
Making peachy keen
With an erstwhile faker
Now a recognized king maker
He will talk with any taker
So where does this leave us
In the clouds or in the dust

Politics makes strange bedfellows
Listen to him as he bellows
Then hypnotizes and he mellows
His waiting audience
Who are trying to make sense
But are caught up in the suspense
Does he do it for the greater good
Or because he knows he could

Guess he’s putting them on notice
Before they can become POTUS
Or even stop to quote us
He reserves the right to see
What’s in it for you and me
Leaving them with a. “We’ll see.”
So you really can’t read nothing
If you don’t know when he’s bluffing

















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved,

By: Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2022.

What’s wrong
With the world today?
It’s really hard to say
If you’re asking me
Then I’d reply, we must have lost our way
Climate change has rearranged the seasons
And war’s declared everywhere
Without adequate reasons

What’s wrong with society
Are you really asking me?
The answer should be pain enough
For a blind man to see
And there’s only one conclusion
That I would postulate
The world as we now know it
Seems to be full of hate

What’s wrong with people
And their priorities
We appear to be acquiescing
To right wing minorities
We’ve abandoned long held principles
Held by our majorities
And we’ve made the far right
Our new authorities

What’s wrong
With the world today?
People we have
Feet of clay
And we let our vulnerabilities
Constantly get in our way
So consequently
There’s price that we’re forced to pay







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2022.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Bullets come out in a flood
Bodies go down with a thud
As the streets get red with blood
And the issue is dragged through the mud
There’s no longer stop and frisk
But can we blame it on this
When benefits versus risks
Suggests that we’d be amiss

It would be profound
To tell those in the ground
That the crime rate is down
Though that’s not what they found
Political ablution
Is no substitution
For a possible solution
We’re tired of elocution

Very much like cancer
No one has the answer
So I’m merely an advancer
Who’s looking to transfer
The onus to us
If we don’t adjust
And remain nonplussed
Despite our disgust
We’ll continue to combust

Now the Pope’s coming here
And hope’s everywhere
Will he have time to care
About our despair
‘Cos it’s unbearable
Though it may sound satirical
It’s clear and empirical
What we need is a miracle






Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

They’ve labeled him a demon
Was it in his father’s *****?
Can there be any redeeming
For one who came through steaming
Mowing innocent people down
On a Christmas parade ground?
Over there in Waukesha Wisconsin
Don’t his ramblings sound like nonsense?

What went on in his head?
He left six people lying dead
But no one’s visited him he said
At least that’s what I thought I read
He left countless people wounded
And otherwise obtunded
Is he crazy?
You might have assumed it

Police haven’t discovered his motive
You see his mind is a locomotive
Which I guess could be denotive
Of his not being emotive
And despite his reasoning
What he did is an outright sin
Can the church now say amen?
Come on y’all I know you can

His mother tried hard to explain
From his childhood he’s been insane
Something’s clearly wrong with his brain
Though the fact of the matter will remain
Six people needlessly lost their lives
While their killer still survives
And the psychologists take deeper dives
His case is one for the archives







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2021.  All rights reserved,

By: Cedric McClester

Did you hear what
Your ignorant president said?
“It is a great day for George Flyod,”
Although he is dead.
And the National Guard
Should let lose their lead
On peaceful demonstrators
Even after they’ve fled

Only the Donald
Would have the nerve
To invoke a black martyr
In order to serve
As a cheap talking point
Because of the curve
In the jobless rate
Like it was an hors d'oeuvre

The man has no conscience
As we can well see,
Because if he did
He’d let well enough be
But he believes everything
Is about He
Cuz anyone else
He’s too blnd to see

I don’t know why I’m
Even amazed
A bout anything he says
Now-a-days
He’ll never correct
His errant ways
He believes in hutzpah
Because hutzpah pays







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2020.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I don’t know his heart
Or exactly
Where to start
But I know
Even you’ll admit
That he does racist ****
So what you see, is ex-act-ly
What you get

I don’t know
What he’s thinkin’
Or the brand of liquor
He must be drinkin’
I just know
What he does
Is racist like
And it always was

I don’t know
His mind
But I betcha
That you’ll find
If you’re not
Deaf, dumb or blind
He is of
The racist kind

I don’t know
What he meant
But I do know
His intent
See he has
A racist bent
And he just
Will not relent

Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017. All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

When black lips
Are out of fashion
Can you imagine
The corrective action
White women take
To get it cracking
And how much they’ll have to take away
When big ***** become passé

When black women
Start to respect themselves
And leave wigs and extensions
On storeroom shelves
You’ll see their true beauty
If nothing else
And their false ideas of what it is
Begins to melt

When beauty standards
Begin to change
And they
starts to have
A wider range
The metamorphous
May at first seem strange
But nobody should feel
Short changed

When we realize
The human race
Isn’t measured by
Just one face
And that everyone
Has their place
The inner self
Will start to be embraced











Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

When are we gonna
Become irate
Like we did with
The participants of Watergate?
With those around Trump
Who refuse to state
The roles that they played
In the insurrection’s fate?

When are they gonna
Pay the price
For continuing to follow
A fool’s advice?
And when are they gonna
Be forced to play nice
Or have their heads
Squeezed inside of a vice

When are they gonna
Be forced to testify
So they can be made to pay
For their common lie?
Or will they continue
Simply to defy
The rule of law
That would normally apply?

When, or will we ever
Learn the true facts
Of what precipitated
The January 6th attacks?
Who were the conspirators
And who wielded the ax?
Will our country ever be able
To sit back and relax



Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2021.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

When first he practiced to deceive
He thought for surel he’d be believed
Which only shows you how naïve
He had to be just to conceive
Being mugged at 2am
In cold Chicago by two men
Who put a rope around his neck
Which made his tale a tad suspect

After launching homophobic slurs
And for good measure it then occurs
To say they wore a MAGA hat
After throwing bleach on him like that
Turns out they were Nigerian
Both of whom had worked with him
Hired just to play that role
But they would not be his *******

Controversy often pays
Turns out he wanted a salary raise
When disparaging remarks about gays
Didn’t grab their attention, no one was phased
He thought it’s time to launch Plan B
Which he hoped would get their sympathy
But at the time, little did he know
To what length the Chicago Police would go

So now the mystery has unraveled
It was a bumpy road the actor travelled
Which often happens to those who dabble
In deceit and psychobabble
Now look at him see what he got
His eight-by-ten is a mugshot
And now I think he can plainly see
How hard it is to fool TMZ













Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

When it came to the Southern Wall
The story he told was tall
Cuz’ he would say at least twice a day
That Mexico was gonna pay
Which he now wants taxpayers to do
Finance his wall, but who knew?
What they can’t climb over
They’ll just tunnel on through

He’s talking about restoring order
Down at the Southern border
Where a crisis doesn’t exists
But regardless he’ll still insist
With a false sense of urgency
That it’s a national emergency
When clearly this is the case
It’s appealing only to his base

How quickly they tend to forget
What was supposed to be a Mexican debt
Has now come full bloom
He thinks we should assume
The fiscal responsibility
For a wall that doesn’t have to be
There to keep people out
Whose safety and lives are in doubt

What never dawned
To his base that was conned
No matter how absurd
They believe his every word
As Fox News connoisseurs
They’re the people that he adores
Because ignorance is bliss
It doesn’t matter that they’re all remiss
















Cedric McClester © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

When it comes to six-month-old baby Jim
Yo’ *** is clearly out on a limb
You are the one who fathered him
So you better be runnin to an ATM
What the hell did you expect
Having unprotected ***
It’s unjustified under any pretexts
But ******* are not intellects
Your DNA tells the tale
The moment that you slip or fail
To pay support you’ll go to jail
And you cannot afford the bail
So I’d pay up if I were you
The things you said were not true
If she’s a ** then what are you
Cos you went ******* riding too

Where does he find ‘em (I don’t know)
The guests seen on the Maury Show
When it comes to ... (oh **** here we go)
You are the father (***** don’t you know?)

The girl comes on and says she’s sure
But he calls her a **** and *****
Because they did it on the floor
And she has slept with countless more
Then she says Maury look at that baby
There’s no ifs, ands, buts or maybes
That’s his child (the one he gave me)
I can’t believe he’s gone and played me
Suspense is building on the set
The test results aren’t in yet
But he’s prepared to make a bet
And obviously she’s upset
Once the answer has been found
They both start jumpin up and down
Then she don’t wanna stick around
Her reputation’s in the ground

Where does he find ‘em (I don’t know)
The guests seen on the Maury Show
When it comes to ... (oh **** here we go)
You are the father (***** don’t you know?)

You’d think she’d be embarrassed, yo
But she’ll be back show after show
Claiming she just wants to know
Who’s her baby’s daddy – Oh!

Changing partner like a necklace
How can people be that reckless
She’s so gangsta she reflects this
I’ll be ****** (she’s got a checklist)
Scratchin off names (one by one)
She’s on page two and still not done
Guess you could say she’s had her fun
But she wasn’t the only one
Given all the STDs
That are out there (if you please)
They should be hogtied and seized
Or forced to bow down on their knees
I bet straight *** was not enough
They’ve probably done some other stuff
See tongue disease can be real rough

Where does he find ‘em (I don’t know)
The guests seen on the Maury Show
When it comes to ... (oh **** here we go)
You are the father (***** don’t you know?)

Look at those who’ve come and went
Though that wasn’t their intent
Most of ‘em can’t catch a hint
See they’re beyond embarrassment
All because they shook their fatties
At all of those potential daddies
None of whom wore Jimmy hatties
Now those mommas goin batty
Watch and pray that it’s not you
None of ‘em have a clue
Wouldn’t you have thought they knew
Who they’re giving their stuff to
But that would be too **** easy
Look at ‘em they sure look greasy
Some of ‘em are down right ******
And none of ‘em are built to please see

You’d think she’d be embarrassed, yo
But she’ll be back show after show
Claiming she just wants to know
Who’s her baby’s daddy – Oh!

Where does he find ‘em (I don’t know)
The guests seen on the Maury Show
When it comes to ... (oh **** here we go)
You are the father (***** don’t you know?)

When it comes to six-month-old baby Jim
Yo’ *** is clearly out on a limb
You are the one who fathered him
So you better be runnin to an ATM
What the hell did you expect
Having unprotected ***
It’s unjustified under any pretexts
But ******* are not intellects
Your DNA tells the tale
The moment that you slip or fail
To pay support you’ll go to jail
And you cannot afford the bail
So I’d pay up if I were you
The things you said were not true
If she’s a ** then what are you
Cos you went ******* riding too


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

By: Cedric McClester

I think their skin is thin
When it comes to Mexicans
And their immigration status
Though Cubans can come here gratis
They’re among the baddest
When it comes to having compassion
They act like compassion's old fashion
And so they’re continuously bashing

Others who want to come here
For the same reasons they hold dear
See the Green Card was a gift
For those from the Mariel boat lift
Though they were among Cuba’s worst
They got a path road to citizenship first
While law abiding Haitians were kept out
Tell me what was that all about?

Some want to send them all back
Like a matter of white and black
To the places that they come from
Even if that notion is real dumb
I think they’re talking out of their ***
Cuz who’s gonna cut their grass
Or watch their children night and day
If we take them all away

There are other beside them ya know
They might want to encourage to go
But nine times out of ten you’ll find
That never crosses their mind
So they can go ahead and build their wall
Make it ten or fifteen feet tall
But remember we’re all on the land
Of the indigenous forgotten Red man!










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

By: Cedric McClester

I think their skin is thin
When it comes to Mexicans
And their immigration status
Though Cubans can come here gratis
They’re among the baddest
When it comes to having compassion
They act like compassion's old fashion
And so they’re continuously bashing

Others who want to come here
For the same reasons they hold dear
See the Green Card was a gift
For those from the Mariel boat lift
Though they were among Cuba’s worst
They got a path road to citizenship first
While law abiding Haitians were kept out
Tell me what was that all about?

Some want to send them all back
Like a matter of white and black
To the places that they come from
Even if that notion is real dumb
I think they’re talking out of their ***
Cuz who’s gonna cut their grass
Or watch their children night and day
If we take them all away

There are other beside them ya know
They might want to encourage to go
But nine times out of ten you’ll find
That never crosses their mind
So they can go ahead and build their wall
Make it ten or fifteen feet tall
But remember we’re all on the land
Of the indigenous forgotten Red man!










Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

To the Far Right it’s now midnight
And you will have to choose
Whether to continue saying things
Designed to make the news
What you say has consequences
Some that can be dire
You need to watch your rhetoric
And the things that you inspire

I am not saying you shouldn’t have
The right to free speech
But I’m suggesting you create congestion
When it’s hate you teach

To extremist out there everywhere
We see you on the move
Committing acts of violence
But what does it all prove
You’re not winning hearts or minds
With your barbaric tactics
Perhaps you need to redefine
Your causes and didactics

I’m not saying you shouldn’t have
The right to free speech
But I’m suggesting you create congestion
When it’s hate you teach

We’ve walked away from group-think
It’s not 1984
So we don’t need that kinda paradigm
It’s not useful anymore

Here’s what I say to the NRA
They’re entitled to their point of view
But I’ve heard their tired argument
Guns don’t **** (people do)
And I admit they might be right
But let’s use our common sense
It’s people with access to guns
Who have bullets to dispense

We’ve walked away from group-think
It’s not 1984
So we don’t need that kinda paradigm
It’s not useful anymore

I’m not saying you shouldn’t have
The right to free speech
But I’m suggesting you create congestion
When it’s hate you teach

To the Far Right it’s now midnight
And you will have to choose
Whether to continue saying things
Designed to make the news
What you say has consequences
Some that can be dire
You need to watch your rhetoric
And the things that you inspire



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

By: Cedric McClester

When it’s more than about
A club full of ****
And we run out of toe tags
Or body bags
To identify the dead
And we’ve half mast the flags
Will we face the ***** Low Down
I’m thinking Bozz Scaggs

What you gonna say then
About your right to bare arms
Have you joined the militia
Or succumb to the charms
Or an errant gun lobby
Who don’t give a care
About how many die
As if they’re unaware

Our right to live
Should trump any amendment
Because it’s real basic
And also ascendant
It makes me wonder
Why some are dependant
Upon assault weapons
Like a kind of appendage

When it’s more than about
People some might hate
Or minimalize
Like they’re second rate
I wonder what then
Will be the debate
Around sensible gun laws
See I cannot wait

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

By: Cedric McClester

When ***** changed
From noun to verb
And it invaded
The suburbs
That’s when
The thought occurred
For us to say
My word!

Much to
Our despair
Now that
The problem’s here
It’s becoming
Crystal clear
We have reason
To fear

It’s not just them
It’s us
The police
Could come to bust
So we’re convinced
We must
Change our focus
And ******

Our children need
Our hugs
We’ve lost the war
On drugs
It’s no longer
Just them thugs
And perhaps
That’s what most bugs














Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015,  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

When love was very special
Because it was brand new
That’s when I first realized
I was in love with you
When it was everything
That I wanted or I needed
You happened to me
And I could not believe it

When love had, me stung out
Like a ***** with a drug
You could make me melt
With as little as a hug
When I was feeling helpless
As a kitten up a tree
You were like a fireman
Coming to rescue me

When love was slowly leaving
Heading towards the door
I wondered what life would be like
Without you anymore
I could hardly contemplate
What would lie in store
But I knew the reality
Would be hard to ignore

When love turned into misery
And I felt its pain
After what it did to me
I couldn’t explain
Why I was still in love with you
But I was just the same
And so I go to bed at night
With your name on my brain


















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

When the media packs and leaves
Who among us really believes
That anything will be achieved
If the conditions aren’t relieved
When the focus shifts once again
Will hopelessness suddenly end
Or maybe we should just pretend
We won’t break we’ll only bend

When the nation goes back to sleep
And we don’t hear another peep
Who'll care enough to weep
Other than those in too deep
When the memories have gone away
And we’ve forgotten about Freddie Gray
Because tomorrow's another day
And our anger won’t be on display

What will the end results be
When we’re on to the next tragedy
What does your crystal ball see
Do you care to share it with me
How do you think we’ll recover
If we don’t care for one another
Do we just suffocate and smother
Aren’t we all sisters and brothers

Long after Baltimore grieves
And the media packs up and leaves
Who from the ashes retrieves
A glimmer of hope that relieves
So where do we go from here
When the attention will disappear
Who then will be aware
Or take pause to even care



© Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester. All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

The law applies to all
So when the mighty fall
Just like the rest of us -  y’all
They hear the clarion call
When asked - Oh yes indeed!
They do regret their greed
So no matter their misdeed
For leniency they plead

And let’s keep it real
Cuz they’re not made of steel
They’d like to cut a deal
Found guilty they’ll appeal
And baby I’m not lyin’
By accident or design
Without them even tryin’
They’re lookin’ at big time

When they’re cut down to size
It makes you realize
They fall quicker than they rise
Right before our eyes
Past actions sealed their fate
But it’s no cause to celebrate
Cuz they got crushed under the weight
And they learned that lesson late

So you ask for the deductive?
It should serve to be instructive
Not at all counterproductive
How greed can be seductive
Although they celluloid it
By all means just avoid it
There’s no need to Sigmund Freud it
Just because they once enjoyed it


































Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

When Trump and Carson fall
And the foolishness ceases
Rubio will be there
To pick up the pieces
He’s salivating
As his chance increases
He’s now looking at curtains
And White House leases

When Trump and Carson fall
And the race is in shambles
He’ll bet his  house
You see. The man gambles
He’s not alone
Cuz there’s many other examples
Of men who’ve picked up swatches
And other samples

When Trump and Carson fall
And they look towards the rest
Rubio’s convinced
That he alone is the best
In fact he’s thinking
Nevertheless
It will be him and not the others
There’s no contest

When Trump and Carson fall
As inevitably they must
And Marco Rubio watches the others
Bite the dust
As they complain
Then spit and cuss
Marco will be the one
To lead the rest of us




Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

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

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

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

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

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


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

By: Cedric McClester

When we didn’t have
A *** to **** in
Or a window
To through it out
When we only had
Each other
We had lots of love
No doubt

When we didn’t
Have a thing
When we ate
At Burger King
When we had
Little to spend
We were happier
Back then

Before mingling
With super stars
Buying mansions
Riding fancy cars
When our cupboard
Was nearly bare
Truth of the matter
We didn’t care

When we didn’t
Have a thing
When we ate
At Burger King
When we had
Little to spend
We were happier
Back then

We had so much love
Back then
We had so much love
Back when
Our pockets were thin
And we scraped
To get by
We had love you and I

Now that is not
To say
That we don’t
Have love today
But it was so much
Harder then
It was harder
Way back when

When we didn’t
Have a thing
When we ate
At Burger King
When we had
Little to spend
We were happier
Back then

When we didn’t have
A *** to **** in
Or a window
To through it out
When we only had
Each other
We had lots of love
No doubt




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

By: Cedric McClester

When you throw a stone
At a plate glass window
It exceeds mere innuendo
There’s a good chance
That you could go
To the slam, don’t cha know?
Where comedians be ****
When their *** gets rammed

When you throw a stone
At a plate glass window
No one says, ay que lindo
There’s a chance
That you’ll be sent though
To a place
One should avoid
See it can make you paranoid

When you throw a stone
At a plate glass window
Your future could be in limbo
It could mean lights out
Think, Kimbo
No matter how you slice it
Now and then though
There’s real time you can spend so

When you throw a stone
At a plate glass window
And get caught then you can go
Before a judge to be adjudicated
A consequence that should be hated
If you have any sense at all
Why set yourself up for a fall?
Instead you need to heed my call








Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Where are we going
As a nation
It’s time we had
That conversation
Cuz rapidly
I’m losing patience
With our divisions
And separations

Some would like
Their country back
Like it went somewhere
As a matter of fact
Is it being said
To make us react?
Has their hegemony
Somehow been jacked

There are certain people
Who profess free speech
And when others object
It’s violence they teach
And pay the legal bills
For those who overreach
By letting go of
Their inner savage beast

United we stand
And divided we fall
This is being directed
To all of y’all
Who haven’t given it
A single thought
Armageddon can be
The karma we wrought







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: ibn Herbert

Where does the time go,
That passes by so fast?
In my younger years
I really had a blast
But that was yesterday
Now I’m forced to ask
Where does the time go,
After the dye has been cast?

Where does the time go,
When I wasn’t paying attention?
Now what is there to show,
That’s worthy of being mentioned?
The answers I’m trying to find,
Has me paying full attention
Where does the time go,
Is it beyond my comprehension?

Where does the time go?
A riddle for the ages
And what does each chapter show,
As we turn the pages?
Life can better be seen
In the rear view mirror
Where does the time go,
Does it become any clearer?

Where does the time go?
It tends to keep moving on
And what do the passing years show,
Long after they’ve been gone?
Once they become history
They cannot be changed
Where does the time go,
Once it is estranged?



                     Ibn Herbert, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By; Cedric McClester

Where do I begin
It didn’t start with ******
Oxycotin was my friend
Who eased the pain I felt within
Before I knew it I was addicted
And now my life is so conflicted
I lie and steal unrestricted
And occasionally I get convicted

This ain’t the average ghetto tale
Where society happened to fail
But it is starting to get stale
And now my body is so frail
It happened quite by accident
My loved ones pray for abstinence
Which only makes perfect sense
But I’ve put up a picket fense

The clock is going tick tick tick
I’m tired and I’m dope sick
I’ve got to get a fix real quick
Because I’m in a panic
I’ve lost all my self-respect
And I can’t find my connect
Nor anything to inject
Not even a likely prospect

Addiction seems to be spreading
Who can say where it’s next heading
Suburbs everywhere are dreading
Drowning in the place they’re treading
Doctors are clearly to blame
When giving pills to ease pain
But even that does not explain
Why it’s ****** in the main







Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

After I’ve picked up the pieces
Of my broken heart
Long after the sadness ceases
Tell me where do I start
I have no idea because it’s not clear
Where do I go from here

I guess if I had my druthers
I’d forget you
And entertain others
But after having got laid
Their memories would quickly fade
‘Cos it would only be a charade

Where do I go from here
To make the past that we shared disappear
And what can I do to erase
The memory of your lovely face
See I wish I knew what I could do
To accept the fact that we’re through

I wish I was more like you
And I could put it all behind
But that’s something I can’t do
Play those kind of tricks with my mind
Though I’m doin’ my best I must confess
If I didn’t say so I’d be lying

Where do I go from here
To make the past that we shared disappear
And what can I do to erase
The memory of your lovely face
See I wish I knew what I could do
To accept the fact that we’re through

After I’ve picked up the pieces
Of my broken heart
Long after the sadness ceases
Tell me where do I start
I have no idea because it’s not clear
Where do I go from here

Where do I go from here
To make the past that we shared disappear
And what can I do to erase
The memory of your lovely face
See I wish I knew what I could do
To accept the fact that we’re through



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

By: Cedric McClester

After I’ve picked up the pieces
Of my broken heart
Long after the sadness ceases
Tell me where do I start
I have no idea because it’s not clear
Where do I go from here

I guess if I had my druthers
I’d forget you
And entertain others
But after having got laid
Their memories would fade
‘Cos it would only be a charade

Where do I go from here
To make the past that we shared disappear
And what can I do to erase
The memory of your lovely face
See I wish I knew what I could do
To accept the fact that we’re through

I wish I was more like you
And I could put it all behind
But that’s something I can’t do
Play those kind of tricks with my mind
Though I’m doin’ my best I must confess
If I didn’t say so I’d be lying

Where do I go from here
To make the past that we shared disappear
And what can I do to erase
The memory of your lovely face
See I wish I knew what I could do
To accept the fact that we’re through

After I’ve picked up the pieces
Of my broken heart
Long after the sadness ceases
Tell me where do I start
I have no idea because it’s not clear
Where do I go from here

Where do I go from here
To make the past that we shared disappear
And what can I do to erase
The memory of your lovely face
See I wish I knew what I could do
To accept the fact that we’re through






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

By: Cedric McClester

I should have known
By the clues
Where you
Get your news
It’s the internet
If I had to choose
With conspiracy theories
By twos

It isn’t
A mystery
And all can
Plainly see
It’s the First Amendment
That’s key
Which I can pointed out
If need be

And as long
As it’s around
Certain things
Are bound to go down
False news
That exists to confound
In doses
That can make you  drown

Nothing beats
An errant tweet
That folks
Sometimes repeat
Often before
They delete
After laying it
At our feet












Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Yesterday, the coal mine closed
Like the future we were promised
Heaven only knows
And the steel factory’s next
I do suppose
Since the tariffs were placed
Business comes and goes

Where in the world
Does a working man go?
When he’s put in his time
But has nothing to show
But a broken back
And calloused hands
When he’s unable to meet
His family’s demands?

We made a choice
The last election
We were told we’re going
In a new direction
Which helped us in
Making the selection
But all that we’re seeing
Is his dereliction

Where in the world
Does a working man go?
When he’s put in his time
But has nothing to show
But a broken back
And calloused hands
When he’s unable to meet
His family’s demands?




Cedric  McClester, Copyright  © 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Where’s this all heading
Let’s check the prophecy
Some say Armageddon
And while that may be
If it’s the Rapture
That they’re waiting for
Maybe that explains
Why they’re so hell bent on war

Brothers and sisters
I’m talkin to you
Do on to others
As you would have them do
You may not know this
But it’s very true
All that you put out there
Will come back to you

Jesus is coming
Can you say amen
See the problem is
No one knows just when
Careful what you wish for
Cos it just might come true
Wouldn’t it be something
If the joke is on you

Brothers and sisters
I’m talkin to you
Do on to others
As you would have them do
You may not know this
But it’s very true
All that you put out there
Will come back to you

People are dying
From the lack of peace
They’d like to be free
But the fighting won’t cease
And there’s devastation
Everywhere you look
Check out Revelations
It's in the book

Brothers and sisters
I’m talkin to you
Do on to others
As you would have them do
You may not know this
But it’s very true
All that you put out there
Will come back to you



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

Cedric McClester

Life is full of twists and turns
Full of lessons we must learn
From the karma that we earn
We should know how to discern
When we’re livin’ right
Walkin’ in the day or night
Where the vampires will not bite
They’re afraid of the sunlight

Forget that old analogy
What will be don’t havta be
It’s really up to you and me
To rewrite our destiny
Though life is a mystery
Certain patterns you can see
When you follow history
Are you listenin’ to me

Listen to these words I write
No matter what your life is like
It’s like riding on a bike
Practice helps to get it right
The inclinations that you fight
Are different as day from night
But try walkin’ in the light
Where the vampires will not bite

Life is full of twists and turns
Full of lessons we must learn
From the karma that we earn
We should know how to discern
When we’re livin’ right
Walkin’ in the day or night
Where the vampires will not bite
They’re afraid of the sunlight






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

Words by: Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2021.

There is such a thing
As white privilege
And to the manner born
A seventeen year old white boy
Who killed two men  
Now is a paragon
For all that ails our divided country
And frankly put is wrong

Wingnuts will parade him
As  a profile in courage
Others will lambaste him
With words that disparage
The justice system that let him go
Was simply a miscarrage
Cos he’s presented as a hero instead
Of the murderer of the two men dead

How did he get away with it
Some are bound to ask?
No doubt others will celebrate
By raising their flask
Though it’s a travesty
To say the very least
What he’s become if you ask me
Is a savage beast

What have we become
I’d just like to know?
Cos we will have to reap
The sordid seeds we sow
The American experiment
Has quite a ways to go
I hope that she makes it
Even though I don’t know









Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2021.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Same *** marriage
We realize
Isn’t acceptable in
Some folks eyes
They view it as unholy
And also unwise
But it’s homophobia
That we should despise

Who are we to say
Who they should love
There’s only one judge
And it’s God above

Same *** couples
Share a common bond
With other lovers
Who correspond
To love’s imperative
That has spawned
A feeling that’s deep
And goes far beyond

Who are we to say
Who they should love
There’s only one judge
And it’s God above

Who give us
The right to say
What they should do
Anyway
If there’s a penalty
For them to pay
We won’t sit in judgment
On their judgment day

Who are we to say
Who they should love
There’s only one judge
And it’s God above

Those who oppose
LGBT
Simply because
They disagree
Have a right
To their opinions
But that doesn’t mean
They have dominion

Who are we to say
Who they should love
There’s only one judge
And it’s God above





Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

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

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

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

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














Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I guess it’s appropriate to ask,
Who knew,
That the Mueller Probe was
Really a coup?
Or nefarious plot, hatched
To undue
The 2016 presidential election,
Right church, wrong pew

Once again you could say
That the President lied
By recently saying that
The British spied
On the Trump Campaign
A charge they denied
Is he a conspiracy theorist?
I’ll let you decide

And just in case you have
Any doubt
That he might leave President
Obama out
You need to eat more
Brussel Sprouts
Cuz it’s someone else’s fault
He always shouts

He likes to be briefed
Cuz he never reads
To get the information
A president needs
By hook or crook
He somehow succeeds
In staying afloat
Despite his deeds












Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rignts reserved

By: Cedric McClester

Who said we all
Gotta think the same
But brother I tell ya
I’m hip to yo’ game
Because you’re everywhere
Praising his name
Which only makes me wonder
Are you still insane?

400 years
Don’t make it a choice
Cuz some of us resisted
Until we lost our voice
So how could you say that
Was your mouth still moist?
The rope remains on the tree
Where the bodies were hoist

For listening to you
I guess that’s what we get
You’re still a narcissist
Talking that ****
And if we’re not careful
You’ll get a hit
Kinda unconventional marketing
I’ll have to admit

You’re not the only paradigm
There have been Uncle Toms
Since the beginning of time
Doing what they do
Without reason or rhyme
Now it’s your turn
And it still is a crime
Because I'm afraid that you crossed the line!





Cedric McClester,Copyright © 2018.  All rights reserved.