The Shirt (G. Soto): All sentences 1 Uncle Shorty was back from the Korean War and living in our sunporch, his duffel bag in the corner, his ceramic Buddha laughing on the sill, his army uniform hanging like an invisible man on a hanger. (Soto, 1991, p. 44) Uncle Shorty was back from the Korean War and living in our sunporch, his duffel bag in the corner, his ceramic Buddha laughing on the sill, his army uniform hanging like an invisible man on a hanger 2 He slept late, and when he woke, he drank water and ate fruit we snatched from the neighbors trees. (Soto, 1991, p. 44) He slept late when he woke he drank water and ate fruit we snatched from the neighbors trees 1 0 S 37 2 2 PX 19 3 Back then there didn t seem to be much. (Soto, 1991, p. 44) 1 0 S 8 Back then there didn t seem to be much 4 We had sunlight, dogs, a blue-throated parrot, a cat that eventually ate the parrot, an almond tree in the yard, and the daily sounds of our neighbor s motorboat engine puttering alive and churning water in a barrel. (Soto, 1991, p. 44) We had sunlight, dogs, a blue-throated parrot, a cat an almond tree in the yard, and the daily sounds of our neighbor s motorboat engine puttering alive and churning water in a barrel that eventually ate the parrot 1 1 X 37 5 Uncle was home. (Soto, 1991, p. 44) 1 0 S 3 Uncle was home 6 My brother, sister, and I left him alone because mom said he was tired, but we, my baby sister first, started piling onto him to wake him up because there was every chance that he would tie us with a length of clothesline and hang us upside down from the ladder leaning against the house. (Soto, 1991, p. 44) My brother, sister, and I left him alone because mom said 2 4 PX 55 Friday, March 3, 2017 Page 1 of 7
he was tired we, my baby sister first, started piling onto him to wake him up because there was every chance that he would tie us with a length of clothesline and hang us upside down from the ladder leaning against the house 7 The world was different that way, upside down, my brother or me swinging like sides of beef in a cold-storage locker. (Soto, 1991, p. 44) The world was different that way, upside down, my brother or me swinging like sides of beef in a cold-storage locker 8 What I liked best about Uncle was his shirt, which was different from mine. (Soto, 1991, p. 44) What I liked best about Uncle was his shirt which was different from mine 9 My shirt I had to put on, button up, and tuck into my jeans. (Soto, 1991, p. 44) My shirt I had to put on, button up, and tuck into my jeans 10 With a polo shirt like my Uncle Shorty s, you slipped into it and let it go unbuttoned. (Soto, 1991, p. 44) With a polo shirt like my Uncle Shorty s, you slipped into it and let it go unbuttoned 11 He sometimes, in a special flip-flap way, tucked his Camel cigarettes into the sleeve. (Soto, 1991, pp. 44-45) He sometimes, in a special flip-flap way, tucked his Camel cigarettes into the sleeve 12 I had a pocket for my things, which were mostly pits of eaten fruit, a broken-toothed comb, some shavings of leaves, and the tiniest of tiny pebbles. (Soto, 1991, p. 45) I had a pocket for my things which were mostly pits of eaten fruit, a broken-toothed comb, some shavings of leaves, and the tiniest of tiny pebbles 1 0 S 21 1 2 X 14 1 0 S 14 1 0 S 17 1 0 S 14 1 1 X 27 13 Uncle knew I liked his shirt. (Soto, 1991, p. 45) 1 1 X 6 Uncle knew I liked his shirt Friday, March 3, 2017 Page 2 of 7
14 I used to slip it on when he was asleep, and at the age of five I knew the smell of a man who went and came back from war. (Soto, 1991, p. 45) I used to slip it on when he was asleep at the age of five I knew the smell of a man who went and came back from war 15 It was more than sweat and beer, tobacco and the splash of cologne. (Soto, 1991, p. 45) It was more than sweat and beer, tobacco and the splash of cologne 16 It was the shape of muscle, the anger of a tattoo panther hiding beh cotton, the hair in the collar, the small hole where a bullet could have entered and exited without his dying. (Soto, 1991, p. 45) It was the shape of muscle, the anger of a tattoo panther hiding beh cotton, the hair in the collar, the small hole where a bullet could have entered and exited without his dying 17 He said he could get me one if I helped him collect copper, which after the war was a precious metal. (Soto, 1991, p. 45) He said he could get me one if I helped him collect copper which after the war was a precious metal 18 I started off with him early one morning, he in his polo shirt and I in my button-up shirt of giraffes, elephants, and lions. (Soto, 1991, p. 45) I started off with him early one morning, he in his polo shirt and I in my button-up shirt of giraffes, elephants, and lions 19 As we walked up the alley, Uncle jumped at the plums from a neighbor s tree and told me about collecting copper. (Soto, 1991, p. 45) As we walked up the alley Uncle jumped at the plums from a neighbor s tree and told me about collecting copper 20 He said that the metal was shiny, was in the shape of wire, and was often inside machinery. (Soto, 1991, p. 45) 2 2 PX 30 1 0 S 13 1 1 X 34 1 3 X 21 1 0 S 24 1 1 X 21 1 1 X 18 Friday, March 3, 2017 Page 3 of 7
He said that the metal was shiny, was in the shape of wire, and was often inside machinery 21 Why will someone give us money for it? I asked. (Soto, 1991, p. 45) Why will someone give us money for it? I asked 22 He gave me a second plum and said it was for the war. (Soto, 1991, p. 45) He gave me a second plum and said it was for the war 23 He asked if I had listened to the sirens, which during the 1950s went on when you were slurping soup and thinking that your life would march on forever. (Soto, 1991, p. 45) He asked if I had listened to the sirens which during the 1950s went on when you were slurping soup and thinking that your life would march on forever 1 1 X 10 1 1 X 13 1 4 X 29 24 He said that the siren was a warning. (Soto, 1991, p. 45) 1 1 X 8 He said that the siren was a warning 25 He said that even inside the siren there was a bundle of copper wires that sent the electricity from the ground to the throat of the siren. (Soto, 1991, p. 45) He said that even inside the siren there was a bundle of copper wires that sent the electricity from the ground to the throat of the siren 26 This was my instruction, two blocks from home, where our neighborhood gave way to diesels, oily railroad tracks, and the horrible slamming of machinery. (Soto, 1991, pp. 45-46) This was my instruction, two blocks from home where our neighborhood gave way to diesels, oily railroad tracks, and the horrible slamming of machinery 1 2 X 27 1 1 X 24 Friday, March 3, 2017 Page 4 of 7
27 I gazed at the ground, which I noticed was busy with so many things: the flakes of egg shells, nails, broken bottles, bottle caps pressed into asphalt, grass along fences, sleeping cats, boards, shattered snail shells, liquid-eyed jays, pot holes, black ants, red ants, jaw-lantern insects with blue eyes, half-eaten fruit, ripped shoes, buttons, metal slugs, cracks in the earth, leather thongs, ripped magazines--everything except copper. (Soto, 1991, p. 46) I gazed at the ground which...was busy with so many things: the flakes of egg shells, nails, broken bottles, bottle caps pressed into asphalt, grass along fences, sleeping cats, boards, shattered snail shells, liquid-eyed jays, pot holes, black ants, red ants, jaw-lantern insects with blue eyes, halfeaten fruit, ripped shoes, buttons, metal slugs, cracks in the earth, leather thongs, ripped magazines--everything except copper I noticed 28 The yellow sun was now nickel-colored, hot and vicious on our necks. (Soto, 1991, p. 46) The yellow sun was now nickel-colored, hot and vicious on our necks 29 Uncle managed to gather a few twigs of copper, which he let me hold. (Soto, 1991, p. 46) Uncle managed to gather a few twigs of copper which he let me hold 30 When he wasn t looking, I bit back the rubber insulation and saw that the copper was truly shiny, not bitter like a penny but somewhat sweet, like electricity. (Soto, 1991, p. 46) When he wasn t looking I bit back the rubber insulation and saw that the copper was truly shiny, not bitter like a penny but somewhat sweet, like electricity 31 We swiped more plums from an abandoned house where Uncle searched the fusebox. (Soto, 1991, p. 46) We swiped more plums from an abandoned house where Uncle searched the fusebox 32 He let me keep the glass fuses, which I turned over in my hands because they were so beautiful. (Soto, 1991, p. 46) 1 2 X 67 1 0 S 12 1 1 X 14 1 2 X 28 1 1 X 13 1 2 X 19 Friday, March 3, 2017 Page 5 of 7
He let me keep the glass fuses which I turned over in my hands because they were so beautiful 33 He slammed one on the ground, though, and with his fingers, pinched out a fingernail of copper. (Soto, 1991, p. 46) He slammed one on the ground, though, and with his fingers, pinched out a fingernail of copper 1 0 S 17 34 We walked through the house. (Soto, 1991, p. 46) 1 0 S 5 We walked through the house 35 Hangers banged in the closet. (Soto, 1991, p. 46) 1 0 S 5 Hangers banged in the closet 36 Water dripped from the faucet, and flies coupled on the lips of forgotten spoons. (Soto, 1991, p. 46) Water dripped from the faucet flies coupled on the lips of forgotten spoons 37 A crate of green oranges sat in the washroom. (Soto, 1991, p. 46) A crate of green oranges sat in the washroom 38 I sat on a stool and looked through Life while Uncle climbed into the attic and came down with dust on his eyelashes. (Soto, 1991, p. 46) I sat on a stool and looked through Life while Uncle climbed into the attic and came down with dust on his eyelashes 39 We looked for three hours and returned home. (Soto, 1991, p. 46) We looked for three hours and returned home 2 0 P 14 1 0 S 9 1 1 X 23 1 0 S 8 40 Uncle s shirt was wet under his arms. (Soto, 1991, p. 46) 1 0 S 7 Uncle s shirt was wet under his arms 41 My shirt of giraffe, elephant, and lion prints was just dusty. (Soto, 1991, p. 46) My shirt of giraffe, elephant, and lion prints was just dusty 1 0 S 11 Friday, March 3, 2017 Page 6 of 7
42 When Uncle pulled his shirt over his head, I unbuttoned mine and let the breeze that lived around the almond tree cool my stomach. (Soto, 1991, pp. 46-47) When Uncle pulled his shirt over his head I unbuttoned mine and let the breeze cool my stomach that lived around the almond tree 43 I looked at Uncle s stomach, which was pinched with muscle. (Soto, 1991, p. 47) I looked at Uncle s stomach which was pinched with muscle 44 His arms held tattoos of panthers with blood-red claws, and his arm said in blue: Korea. (Soto, 1991, p. 47) His arms held tattoos of panthers with blood-red claws his arm said in blue: Korea 1 2 X 24 1 1 X 10 2 0 P 16 45 The twigs of copper lay on the grass. (Soto, 1991, p. 47) 1 0 S 8 The twigs of copper lay on the grass 46 There wasn t enough copper for a machine to stamp more than a dollar s worth of pennies. (Soto, 1991, p. 47) There wasn t enough copper for a machine to stamp more than a dollar s worth of pennies 47 Uncle washed his shirt in the garden hose, wrung it hard, and hung it in the tree. (Soto, 1991, p. 47) Uncle washed his shirt in the garden hose, wrung it hard, and hung it in the tree 48 An hour later, I got to wear it around the house and twice around the block. (Soto, 1991, p. 47) An hour later, I got to wear it around the house and twice around the block 1 0 S 16 1 0 S 17 1 0 S 16 Friday, March 3, 2017 Page 7 of 7