One (Sarah Crossan)

Ischiopagus Tripus

Although scientists have come up with ways to

categorise conjoined twins,

each and every pair that ever existed

is unique—

the details of all our bodies remain a secret

unless we want to tell.

And people always want to know.

They want to know exactly what we share

down there,

so sometimes we tell them.

Not because it’s their business

but to stop them wondering—it’s all the

wondering

about our bodies that bothers us.

So:

Tippi and I are of the ischiopagus tripus

variety.

We have

two heads,

two hearts,

two sets of lungs and kidneys.

We have four arms as well,

and a pair of fully functioning legs

now that the vestigial leg has been

docked

like a show dog’s tail.

Our intestines begin

apart

then merge.

And below that we are

one.

It probably sounds like a prison sentence,

but we have it better than others

who live with fused heads or hearts,

or only two arms between them.

It really isn’t so bad.

It’s how it’s always been.

It’s all we know.

And actually,

we’re usually

quite happy

together.