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.

Of course I'm fine, why do you ask?
Oh don't mind this, it's just my mask.
It hides the grief, it hides the strife.
I wear this mask to escape my life.
You say my heart must be a sight.
It's bruised but beating, black as night.
It's not just my heart, it's in my soul.
You're killing me like it's your goal.
You're getting close, I hope you know.
You really don't have far to go.
But you don't know, you never ask.
You never look, beyond the mask.

You’re not a poet because you know those ‘fancy’ words
You’re a poet because every word you write comes straight from your heart

You’re not a poet because people admire your work
You’re a poet because you write for your own contentment and not for people's consent

You’re not a poet because you feel alone
You’re a poet because pen and paper are your biggest companions

You’re not a poet because you understand emotions better
You’re a poet because you let them flow freely

You are not a poet because you’ve failed in love
You’re a poet because you’ve been in love deeper than anyone else

You’re not a poet because you are strong
You’re a poet because you don’t hide your weaknesses

You’re not a poet because you can heal hearts
You’re a poet because you know what it means to be broken

I asked my mother once,
What would you have done if I was born a girl?

She offered a name she considered,
but not the blessing—-
not the consideration that maybe,
just maybe,

I wasn’t supposed to be
quite like this.