Darling, I know that you are
Confused.
Upset.
Lost.
Out of control.
And don't know why.
Have you ever punched the wall just to hear the smash of your hand crunching against the hard paint?
Darling please, you don't need to.
Just take a breath and hug yourself instead.
To feel the twinge of pain that radiates from your knuckles to your fingers to your palms, and, if you hit hard enough, to your shoulder blades?
Darling please, don't hurt yourself.
Too many people have done that already
Have you ever taken your hand down and stared at your hand, amazed that no evidence of your pain and anger and confusion is even there?
Darling please, you aren't alone.
You just need to stop hiding.
Have you ever stared at your mirror and begged your reflection to tell you why you have this gaping hole within you and
Darling please
All you want is answers
Darling please
All you need is a reason
Darling please
All you need is love
Darling please
Remember that love is all around you.
You just need to lower your fist
Open your palms,
Turn away from the mirror,
And listen.

You made me feel,
Better about myself,
Happy and safe,
That I was loved.

You made me see,
That my body is beautiful,
That the stars shine brighter if you are with someone,
Just how alive I really am.

You made me want,
To be with you all the time,
To climb the highest mountain just to see the sky,
To really live and not just survive.

You made me believe,
That everything will be okay,
That even tho the clouds will cover the sky sometimes the sun will always come back,
In myself,

You made me strong,
More than I could ever be without you,
So I can hold the fear and dark away,
By just being with me.

You have made me who I am now,
And for that I thank you,
My beautiful, love.

By: Cedric McClester

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

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

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

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












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

She cries tears of mother's ruin
"Look at me!
It's been so hard
All of my life
And I've had to fight
For my own patch of light
Still, no-one ever looks at me"

He turns his eyes to the floor
Saying nothing
Feeling stupid
And his words burst like bubbles in his mouth
He is desperate to say something
Anything to make her happy
But he cannot turn disappointment
Back into youthful optimism
Or bitterness back to hope
As she sinks into smeary sobs
Wet and bleary loss
He takes her home

He undresses her and puts her to bed
Then he holds her as she cries
And he holds her as she sleeps
He hushes her when she stirs
And calms her when she starts and cries out
When the dreams become too real
And he shall never be more than this
Never more fulfilled
Caring for her is his only purpose
Making her happy is his holy grail
Willingly trapped within her pain
He is nothing else at all

                               By Phil Roberts