The Sound

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDFDeA-hrNjPk&v=FDeA-hrNjPk

Behind the Poem

Since I was a kid, I’ve loved music. I loved the vocals, the lyrics, the messages behind the songs, the performances—everything about it. Before I discovered my voice through poetry, music was one of the main ways I processed my emotions and gained perspective on the lives of others.

When I sat down to write “The Sound,” I wanted to tap into that love for music and explore how powerful it can be as a teacher. Songs have a way of reaching us emotionally before we even realize what they’re saying. A melody can stay with you for years, and sometimes the message behind it quietly shapes the way you see the world.

I wrote “The Sound” while I was in college. For me, college was an introduction to a lot of new experiences—living away from my parents, late nights, romantic relationships, parties, alcohol, and the freedom to make my own decisions about how I spent my time. None of those things are inherently bad, but they can easily become distractions if you’re not paying attention.

At the same time, college was also the first season in my life where my faith truly felt like my own choice. I decided when I wanted to go to church. I chose to be involved in Christian organizations. Instead of feeling like something that was expected of me growing up, my relationship with God became something I was actively exploring and trying to understand for myself.

“The Sound” was my attempt to combine those two realities.

On one side, there was my love for music and the way songs can influence how we think and feel. On the other side, there were the lessons I was learning about temptation—how easy it is to become distracted from what matters most.

Temptation rarely presents itself as something obviously destructive. More often, it sounds appealing. It feels familiar. It promises comfort, excitement, or fulfillment in the moment. That’s why I framed temptation in this poem as a sound—something you hear repeatedly until it starts shaping the choices you make.

The musical references throughout the poem represent those sounds: the voices, messages, and influences that surround us every day and try to pull our attention in different directions.

But the deeper question behind the poem is simple: which voice are you really listening to?

Because when life gets loud—when culture, desires, and distractions all compete for your attention—it becomes easy to forget the voice that’s meant to guide you.

For me, writing this poem was a reminder that temptation will always exist, but spiritual maturity comes from learning how to recognize the noise… and choosing to listen to the truth instead.

And for me, that truth has always been God's voice.

Beyond the Blog

“The Sound” appears on my spoken word album eight twenty eight, where the musical references, rhythm, and wordplay were meant to be experienced through voice and cadence.

The video above features the audio performance from the album, allowing the piece to be heard the way it was originally intended.

If you'd like to explore the full project, you can stream eight twenty eight wherever music is available.