I Am is just one of many poems in the young artist’s line-up, which has developed steadily since his first performance at Club Brebeuf, a talent show at his old high school. Sales still remembers that poem well.

“That poem was written for a friend and it was about her story, and how she went through an abortion and how it affected her after,” he said solemnly. “I just wanted to convey her story… and show people that things like this happen and that it’s real.”

Following his performance at Club Brebeuf, he asked everyone at the talent show to pray a Hail Mary with him. Sales has never shied away from bringing his Catholic faith into his poetry, and he continues to incorporate faith into his pieces today.

“It’s really hard to not sound preachy. I think what I tend to do is just show the love instead of telling it,” he explained. “Here’s my love, here’s God’s love. You know, I’m just opening up.”

Writing with faith and social justice in mind comes naturally to Sales. His inspirations, he said, are “just people around me, the stories I have to tell, life experiences, God, and what happens in my daily life… I try to just convey it.”

“That’s probably why I have a lot of love poems,” he added with a laugh.

Whether about love, faith, social justice or video games — he’s a normal teenager too — Sales’ poems have earned recognition in the spoken-word community in Toronto and beyond.

Last week, with three other Toronto poets, Sales travelled to Ohio for a spoken-word festival. Despite not advancing to the event’s finals, Sales said he learned a lot.

“I’ve learned that there’s a lot more ways to tell a story — to write a poem. You can basically write about anything and tell your own story,” he said. “I’ve also learned that there’s a lot of room to grow. I love it.”

Ohio is one of Sales’ favourites on a list of about 25 shows where he has performed, but his favourite remains a “slam” in Guelph, where he was the featured artist. A “slam” is a tournament-style show where poets are judged by a random selection of audience members through three rounds of eliminations until a winner is selected.

“No props, no bands, no beats,” explained Sales. “It’s just you, a microphone, and your words.”

Sales has won a handful of slams.

“There’s prize money, that’s why,” he joked.

When Sales finished his school year at Humber College, where he’s studying culinary arts, he decided not to get a job so he could focus on spoken word. Prizes are always appreciated. The latest was a laptop, digital camera and free year of wireless Internet that he won for his second-place finish in the creative writing contest.

But spoken word has given Sales more than just material rewards. It’s helped him emotionally and socially, he said.

“Whenever I feel like I’m breaking down, I just write,” he said.

Because he knows the benefits of spoken word, Sales hopes to start programs in the future to get people — especially youth — into spoken word.

For now, however, he has plans to travel to San Francisco for a youth slam called Brave New Voices, where his team’s participation will mark the first Canadian attendance at the event. He’s also participating in the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word this August in Toronto.

“I don’t believe my spoken word can change the world,” said Sales, who is often critical of his own work. “But it can at least touch people, hopefully.”