Leeward CC graduate Christophor Oliveira is a thoughtful, well-spoken young man who stands up for the things that mean most to him – peace, conservation, Native Hawaiian rights. His riffs and rhymes are exciting to hear, and he always speaks with an open, honest heart. We invite you listen and watch Contradictions, spoken poetry by Chris Oliveira.

Meet the artist: Chris Oliveira

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Contradictions, spoken poetry by Chris Oliveira

How much more pressure can i take for heaven’s sake i’m about to break
i hate this fake “shhh make it go away” it’s too much for me to take
they’ve sealed my faith i still can’t shake their hands and make a deal with snakes

i feel mistakes I’ve made prepared me to deal with the hand that I’ve dealt i played it to the best of my abilities and myself i’ll never play

iʻll save myself because i’m worth it and not because what they purchase
allergic to this paper it’s not my savior the world lives in a circus

made a decision to live in my own little world but at least my world has purpose plead my belief in me at least i’ll be the one who reads the verdict

i hear it they heard it still don’t listen judgments all in the opposition imprisoned by the contradiction in their chain of thoughts

think i’m still in it but the case is lost in their opinion what they didn’t consider in my vision is my vision

i see clearly what they steer clear of i’ve been on trial for a minute there’s more missing from the transcriptions than they could ever fit in the picture like renditions of scriptures i’ve written to rhythm and the many conversations i get in i’m meshing perspectives professors come learn you a lesson

stop treating me like a victim because all them habits i had i kicked them all by myself when nobody would listen and screaming for help that’s why nobody gets it alone when i did it and now that i’m ready to get in position they just won’t let me i just don’t get it

i find strength in my past and they view it pathetic with the potential to crash like i don’t know where i’m headed

i love my path and lean on my lessons still let it go they tell me no i tell them i won’t let it go for hell and most of them don’t know me well enough to give me credit

it’s imbedded they’re not logical catch 22 is a mission impossible crazy like cruise get over your obstacle forever we’ll lose cancers in our tropical optical illusions and legislative maneuvering keeping us stupid and clueless but we’re not neutral no we got options too

even though it is not in you it’s in us we’re the righteous do what we gotta do conforming to norms that ain’t even normal tell me how is this possible

allegory to the companies raping our mother earth for her fossil fuels now I’m confused there’s not a resource out here that we don’t abuse and still we act like we can’t afford to room and board our youth

now i ain’t stupid I’m convinced the truth is a myth it don’t exist it’s easier to go adopt a few even though they are not of you furthermore this is not your view therefore that means you don’t make sense just full of shit and a lot of bull

and that just ain’t allowable force them to do what cowards do which is only what there allowed to do their not the type to power through quick to crumble in sight of the powerful but I’m still yelling out loud for you hate i don’t know how to do aggression i am good at you know where my hoods running stones from the corner of flint barefoot bring the goods back

should that offend anybody feeling threatened judging me on the basis of my defense asking questions second guessing my faceless destiny confessions get manifested in sixty more seconds now less than a minute a couple more things i wanted to get into before the lesson is finished

forget it I’m finished remember me forever.

Credits: performance video by Educational Media Center – Leeward Community College, post feature photo by Kahoʻolemana Naone