By: Cedric McClester

When we learned
James Baldwin was dead
From stomach cancer
His obituary read
We accepted the news reluctantly
And said a silent prayer
Then naturally wondered
Who’d be his heir

But alas Baldwin was
One of a kind
And like  a fine jewel
Hard to find
His perspective was
Clearly cutting edge
And sometimes he even
Went over the ledge

Baldwin warned us of
The Fire The Next Time
Borrowed from an
Apocalyptic paradigm
His words have proven to be
Quite prophetic
Yet the changes that occurred
Were only cosmetic

Baldwin pulled off
America’s scab
And revealed the raw under-flesh
That she’s always had
Lurking somewhere
Just beneath the surface
Ya see revelation
Was his sacred purpose









Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2021.  All rights reserved.