Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, THE TWINS, by HENRY SAMBROOKE LEIGH


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

THE TWINS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: In form and feature, face and limb
Last Line: And buried brother john!
Subject(s): Twins


In form and feature, face and limb,
I grew so like my brother,
That folks got taking me for him,
And each for one another.
It puzzled all our kith and kin,
It reach'd an awful pitch;
For one of us was born a twin,
Yet not a soul knew which.
One day (to make the matter worse),
Before our names were fix'd,
As we were being wash'd by nurse
We got completely mix'd;
And thus, you see, by Fate's decree
(Or rather nurse's whim),
My brother John got christen'd me,
And I got christen'd him.
This fatal likeness even dogg'd
My footsteps when at school,
And I was always getting flogg'd
For John turn'd out a fool.
I put this question hopelessly
To every one I knew --
What would you do, if you were me,
To prove that you were you?
Our close resemblance turn'd the tide
Of my domestic life;
For somehow my intended bride
Became my brother's wife.
In short, year after year the same
Absurd mistakes went on;
And when I died -- the neighbours came
And buried brother John!






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