“What Sally Said”



“What Sally Said”

from House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

He never hits me hard. She said her mama rubs lard on all the places where it hurts. Then at school she’d say she fell. That’s where all the blue places come from. That’s why her skin is always scarred.

But who believes her. A girl that big, a girl who comes in with her pretty face all beaten and black can’t be fallin' off the stairs. He never hits me hard.

But Sally doesn’t tell about that time he hit her with his hands just like a dog, she said like if I was an animal. He thinks I’m going to run away like his sisters who made the family ashamed. Just because I’m a daughter, and then she doesn’t say.

Sally was going to get permission to stay with us a little and one Thursday she came finally with a sack full of clothes and a paper bag of sweetbread her mama sent. And would’ve stayed too except when the dark came her father, whose eyes were little from crying knocked on the door and said please come back, this is the last time. And she said Daddy and went home.

Then we didn’t need to worry. Until one day Sally’s father catches her talking to a boy and the next day she doesn’t come to school. And the next. Until the way Sally tells it, he just went crazy, he just forgot he was her father between the buckle and the belt.

You’re not my daughter, you’re not my daughter. And then he broke into his hands.

Found Poem Rules:

1. Pick 100-150 words from PROSE that you like.

2. Pick out phrases you like that are “poetic” to your ears.

3. Arrange phrases poetically

4. Proof read-Make it perfect!

5. Give credit to the original author and to yourself

6. Remember that you may change/add two words

7. Remember that you may REPEAT words or phrases as needed.

8. Remember that you may alter/add punctuation

9. Remember that you may change verb tense to fit the situation

10. Remember that you may NOT change the meaning

11. Remember that you ABSOLUTELY MUST do number 5!

“What Sally Said”

from House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

He never hits me hard. She said her mama rubs lard on all the places where it hurts. Then at school she’d say she fell. That’s where all the blue places come from. That’s why her all the blue places.

But who believes her. A girl that big, a girl who comes in with her pretty face all beaten and black can’t be fallin' off the stairs. He never hits me hard.

But Sally doesn’t tell about that time he hit her with his hands just like a dog, she said like if I was an animal. He thinks I’m going to run away like his sisters who made the family ashamed. Just because I’m a daughter, and then she doesn’t say.

Sally was going to get permission to stay with us a little and one Thursday she came finally with a sack full of clothes and a paper bag of sweetbread her mama sent. And would’ve stayed too except when the dark came her father, whose eyes were little from crying knocked on the door and said please come back, this is the last time. And she said Daddy and went home.

Then we didn’t need to worry. Until one day Sally’s father catches her talking to a boy and the next day she doesn’t come to school. And the next. Until the way Sally tells it, he just went crazy, he just forgot he was her father between the buckle and the belt.

You’re not my daughter, you’re not my daughter. And then he broke into his hands.

He never hits me hard.

mama rubs lard

where it hurts

at school she’d say she “fell”

all the blue places

He never hits me hard.

Skin is always scarred

Who believes her?

Pretty face Beaten and black

Just like a dog

Going to run away

When the dark came

Her father

This is the last time

Then, we didn’t need to worry

Until one day

Father catches her

Talking to a boy

He just went crazy

He forgot he was her father

Between the buckle and belt

Your not my daughter

Not my daughter

And then he broke

Into his hands

He never hits me Moving things to the next line for emphasis

hard.

mama rubs lard

where it

hurts Bolding or Italicizing for emphasis

at school

she’d say she

“fell” quotation marks

all the blue places… ellipses

He never hits me…

hard.

Skin is always

scarred

Who believes her? Question marks

Pretty face

Beaten and black look for poetic language like alliteration

Just like a dog

With the dark came “When” became “With” here.

Her father

“This is the last time”

Breaking into stanzas

Then, we didn’t need to worry

Until one day

Father catches her

Talking to a boy

He just went

crazy Different fonts

He forgot he was her

father

Between

the buckle and belt

“Your not my daughter”

“Not my daughter”

And then

he

Broke Play with capitalization

Into his

hands

What Sally Said

He never hits me

hard

Mama rubs lard

Where it hurts

Sally doesn’t tell, because “because” added here

He never hits her hard “me” becomes “her” here

She’d say she fell

But who believes her?

Big, pretty face, beaten and black

He never hits me hard

Can’t be fallin’ off the stairs

Hit her with his hands, just like

A dog, like she was an animal

He never hits me hard

One Thursday, she stayed a little

With a sack of clothes and a bag of sweetbread

And would’ve stayed, but

With the dark came her father

Eyes little from crying

“Please come back” and “The last time”

He never hits me hard

He never hits me hard

She said, “Daddy”

And went home

Until one day

He never hits me hard

Sally talking to a boy

He forgot he was her father

Just went

crazy

Between the buckle and belt

“You’re not my daughter!”

“Not my daughter!” and then

He broke--into his hands

He Never Hits Me…

hard

From Sandra Cisneros’ House of Mango Street from the short story “What Sally Said”

By Karen Sahaydak

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