Photo: Syd Wachs on Unsplash
They are twins but
They are not one
Being.
Identical, so many call them,
Breathless with
Duplicated magic.
But underneath the outward
Appearance
They are
Anything but.
Individually
Tempered
By the nuanced
Realities of who they
Really are.
For Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt: Nuance in 38 words
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Na'ama Yehuda 
And a good reminder of the truth of twins. Nice one. Na’ama
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Thank you, Crispina! I’ve seen too many ‘twin units’ (especially those of identical twins) who are not really given space to be individuals … while of course they all are. Even conjoined twins are their own persons …
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I’ve dated one of twins; my youngest daughter did ditto, and now is married to one.
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Thar you go! 🙂
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My godson is a twin, granted not identical, but they are so different from each other. They’re definitely their own people!
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As we all are, aren’t we? 🙂 Born-together or not, sharing placentas or not – we are our own people.
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Absolutely, we are all individuals and should be allowed to be who we are.
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Eeeezatly! 🙂
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I was married to an identical twin, so very different, but so similar in other ways – perhaps, because they were brothers? 🤗
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Thanks for the comment, Laura! I think that twins, especially ‘identical’ twins, DO have a lot in common, and there may be a lot about them that reminds of the other. Nonetheless, they are their own person, and too many people expect them to be facsimiles of each other, which of course they are not.
Great comment!
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Are you a twin Na’ama? You seem to understand well the need to maintain individuality.
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Not a twin myself, but I have worked with twins and I know twins, and I seen how difficult it can be for people to be their own person first and not part of a preconceived unit. And … I’m pretty independent … so I can feel how I’d strain against inability to individuate …
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Na’ama Y’karah,
My daughter in law is an identical twin. I love both her and her sister. And your poem describes them to a T. Well done.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you, Rochelle! xoxo
So many people stop at the fascination with the ‘identical’ part and don’t realize that there is just as much individualism underneath it as in anyone. … Perhaps more, for needing to push through those who are blind to it. …
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I can almost always tell Sarah and Katie apart in their photos by those certain little nuances. Katie tilts her head a certain way while Sarah is more in your face. (in a good way) Sarah’s the one who married my baby boy. Love these two young women. Sarah’s an artist and Katie’s a trained musician.
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It’s those little nuances that matter so much, too, isn’t it? Much as twins sometimes enjoy playing tricks and seeing others have a hard time tell them apart, all games aside, most usually want to be seen as individuals and not lumped together as one entity or duplicates of the same. How not surprising that your son will find an artist for a mate … 🙂
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My (identical, but now minor changes say maybe not) grand-elves. Now at 14, more individual and different personality growth is seen (teenage ‘maturity’).
Referred to as “the girls” or by name(s), they obviously love being twins and are very close — much more than average siblings, in my opinion. Hugging requires two arms, one for each. I have been able to tell them apart as long as I’ve known them.
I agree with the premise of your poem, but I suspect these two do not face not being seen by anyone as individuals. They are very aware of who they are, as both individuals and special twins.
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I think there are many families where the twin fun is not made into blending of the two into one. In many families twins get to enjoy their unique closeness AND to develop their individuality. I am glad that this is how it is in your family. I’d say that the poem represents the too-many-times I’d seen twins (especially ‘identical’ twins) treated as a unit beyond what the children wanted, and where there was almost a constant need to point out the similarities or negate the differences. So, yes, the twins in the poem are struggling to be seen as individuals (which, of course, does not need to mean they don’t cherish ALSO being par of twins).
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Right. I’ve never discussed this with the (divorced) parents, but I suspect that they were aware of and trying not to do exactly what you are talking about. Neither girl has ever complained about any of that. But it seems to me that they get along with each other and their step brothers better than the average siblings.
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That is excellent stuff! 🙂 Thanks for sharing this and enriching the comment section with this real-life possibility for twins. 🙂
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Oh so true. I went to school with a few sets of identical twins – so different in character and some really close and others not so much.
I hate when I see parents treating them as a single unit, not encouraging them to be individuals.
Excellent take!
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Thank you, Dale! I think twins are a magical thing, BUT they are also – first and foremost – their own persons. Hugzees!
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Wow. My phone told me my comment didn’t post…
My sister has twins – girl and boy and when they asked her if they were identical, she’d answer: well the boy has a penis…😂
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Well, that DOES marks the difference … easier than going into Xs and Whys … 😉
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It kinda does…
All jokes aside, did you know that boy/girl twins can be classified as identical (despite that one obvious difference)?
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I don’t think I knew that … how can they be identical if they have different chromosomes? How interesting! 🙂
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great poem! being a twin, i thank you for articulating what i always try to explain to
people when they somehow think that we are the same person. have a great day!💞
Follow @everythingtips for tips and recommendations if interested! It would mean a lot to me!🥺🤍
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I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
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