Poetry | Free Verse | Twins
Two Peas — My Sister and Me
GiaB writing prompt #19: family
I am a freak of nature and by association my sister is too I am me because of her she is not her without me
We exist apart yet bonded together and have been all along from the moment of conception we knew each other as well as we knew our own selves Our cells subdivided our destiny so we would forever belong one to the other by mutuality an ever-present umbilical cord
Our parents knew she was not me and I was not her but others were never so sure “Which one are you? You’re like two peas in a pod. We can’t tell if you’re twin one or twin two.” “I am me and she is her,” is all they needed to know as they could never ever remember from that one instant and onto the next “What is it like being identical twins?” their curiosity would have them ask “Don’t really know,” we would reply as one, “What’s it like to be not?”
© Carolyn Hastings 2021
Monozygotic (identical) twins, while relatively common, are nevertheless freaks of nature. At some point in the early phases of cell division, the embryo cleaves completely in two. The genetically identical halves proceed to develop into fetuses often, but not always, sharing a single placenta.
Mum didn’t know she was having twins until six weeks before we were born. She was sent straight home to spend the remainder of our gestation in bed. Heaven knows what must have been going through her head as she lay there waiting for us to make our appearance. As any expectant parent knows, preparing for one baby is enough of a psychological and logistical exercise, but two? With only six weeks notice!
As children, my sister and I were very similar in appearance, temperament, interests, likes and dislikes. Approaching adulthood, we made a conscious decision to ‘go our own way’ — to pursue different career paths, foster our own friendship groups, and live our own lives. While life has delivered us different opportunities and challenges, the bond that tied us together in the womb remains just as strong today. We still can’t answer the question, ‘What is it like being an identical twin?’ because we have known nothing else. I don’t know if our sisterly connection is any different to other sibling relationships. All I know is that I wouldn’t change what I have for the world.
The poem started out being a response for a different theme but that all changed when I read Victor Sarkin’s prompt about family where he writes, ‘we would prefer, and encourage you to write on a particular family member’. I’ve written previously about other relatives but not specifically about my twin sister. Genius in a Bottle’s #19 prompt: Family provided me the opportunity to do that.
Families are a fascinating institution and one that offers boundless stories of every type and description. If you’re ready to share a story about a family member, please consider participating in this writing challenge. You’ll find the details here —
In saying that, I’m warmly inviting Lee Serpa Azevado | Josie Elbiry | Amy Jasek | John K Adams | Jill Taylor Neal |Steve Williams to contribute to the prompt. 🙏 ✨
As always, thank you all most kindly for reading. 🙏 💕