Story 22: I consumed my twin

What would my twin say? 

If I had not consumed her, 

sinew by sinew, bone by bone, 

pressed my flesh to her flesh, 

sucked-up her spinal fluid, 

twined my nerves around her nerves, 

drunk her blood, tapped into her lymph, 

until there was just one body, 

one brain just me waiting to be born. 

What would my twin say, 

if she had a mouth with which to speak?

I wrote the above poem recently - the first time that I have attempted to explore this idea of having eaten my twin in the womb. I was directed to your website by a fellow writer who is doing research on twins. I didn't realise that other people have experienced similar things!
 When I was born, the afterbirth had a double placenta. The mid-wife (I was born at home) said something like 'oh, that's interesting' and wrapped it up in newspaper and took it away.

When I was a young child I had extra bones that poked out of my body around my collar bone. The comment from the doctor was that I had probably 'eaten' my twin in the womb and that the bones would disappear. They did!

Through out my life I have had an imaginary friend called 'Charlie' - who would announce his presence by making me feel disconnected from my body. He still appears now in my middle years - but less often and only when I am contented. It is interesting for me that I see 'Charlie' as a male - but the poem was written with the twin as female.

I have always thought of Charlie as my twin.

--------------

More poetry on this page