Sally, Sally

Poem by Shira, Artwork by William M. Smith

Sally, Sally was a snail.
Sally left a slimy trail.

Then, when she learned how to dance,
She started wearing harem pants.

Harem pants are hard to put
On when you have just one foot!

Sally then switched to a skirt,
But it kept dragging in the dirt.

Sally felt it wasn't fair--
She hadn't anything to wear!

Her costume problems grew and grew!
Oh, what's a dancing snail to do?

Desperate, though she was a prude,
She thought of dancing in the nude.

But then a vendor taught her well,
How to decorate her shell.

Sequins here and sequins there,
Beaded fringe instead of hair.

Now she dances every night,
Sparkling under every light.

Now everybody tells the tale
Of glitter in her slimy trail.

And everybody knows her name:
That lovely snail of dancing fame!

Picture Of Sally, The Snail

Sally Wearing A Feather Boa

Want This Artwork On A Shirt, Mouse Pad, Or Mug?

Visit Shira's Showcase, an online store, for T-shirts, sweatshirts, mouse pads, and mugs with this artwork on them.

About This Poem

There was a time, around 1975 or so, that Shira starting collecting snail figurines. It all started with this incredibly appealing pair of intricately-painted paper maché snails from Mexico. Once her friends saw those, they gave her more. At its height, the collection numbered over 100. There were paper maché snails, porcelain snails, soft and cuddly stuffed snails, and more.

Although Shira no longer collects them, she has kept a few of the most interesting or sentimental snails, like the one her husband gave her as a present when they got married. It seemed only natural that a web site featuring dancing penguins, camels, babies, mice, dolls, and cows should also have a belly dancing snail. Now it does.

About The Poet and Artist

Shira, also known as Julie Anne Elliot, has been writing poetry ever since she was about 12 years old. Her poems have been published in several "small press" poetry journals. At age 21, she wrote her first French-language poem: Le Voile De La Nuit. Every now and then, she feels the uncontrollable urge to write something that's utterly silly, and she has found that when that happens, the safest thing to do is go with it. Hence, this little specimen of doggerel.

Shira first started learning Middle Eastern dance in 1981. Dance has been her inspiration, her creative outlet, her avenue to making friends in a new community after relocating, and her escape from her "day job" of being a professional Silicon Valley computer nerd. She teaches belly dance classes in Mountain View, California.

Shira is your hostess, the webmistress of this award-winning web site, The Art Of Middle Eastern Dance.

Bill Smith, who would probably prefer not to be called Mr. Shira even though he is married to her, is a mathemagician. (Imagine someone who has a Ph.D. in mathematics with a sense of playfulness and humor about it....) He likes to pass time in restaurants waiting for his food by doodling. He used to doodle cartoons of snails to please his favorite wife (yes, there's a story behind that!), and this is one of his creations.

Unfortunately, Bill doesn't share his wife's passion for belly dancing, and sometimes feels like a belly dancing widower. He'd much rather cut a rug with her doing just plain old social dancing at a local club.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: The poetry and artwork on this page were done by Shira and William M. Smith. Copyright 2001 by Julie Anne Elliot and William M. Smith. All rights reserved. If you want to use it elsewhere, you must first get permission. To request such permission, contact Shira.

Using This Site: | Table Of Contents (Site Map) | Search This Site | Behind The Screens |