Two-Headed Calf Anthology
Fifteen alternate takes on the poem "Two-Headed Calf" by Laura Gulpin.
“Tomorrow when the farm boys find this
freak of nature, they will wrap his body
in newspaper and carry him to the museum.
But tonight he is alive and in the north
field with his mother. It is a perfect
summer evening: the moon rising over
the orchard, the wind in the grass. And
as he stares into the sky, there are
twice as many stars as usual.”
-Laura Gulpin
__________________________
But tonight he is alive and in the north field with his mother.
It is a perfect summer evening: the moon rising over the orchard, the wind in the grass
Having never seen another calf, and not yet been called a freak of nature, he assumes he is normal. He sees the correct amount of stars.
__________________________
But tonight he is alive and in the north field with his mother.
It is a perfect summer evening: the moon rising over the orchard, the wind in the grass
The twin calves have two brains, shared by one body. They look up at the stars and each individually sees the correct amount of stars.
__________________________
The twin calves have two brains, shared by one body. As they look at the stars, out of one eye, they look at each other. I am you. You are me.
_________________________
Two farm boys, twins, find this freak of nature. The calf is scared by these four men wrapping him in two newspapers and taking him to the museum, where there are twice as many exhibits as usual.
_________________________
Two farm boys, twins, find this freak of nature. Before wrapping him in newspaper, they tend to their scheduled duties. From his weeping mother, they take milk that wasn’t for them.
_________________________
Two farm boys, twins, find this freak of nature. One says to the other “If I wanted to think this much about two-faced cows I’d go back to high school”. The other twin steals this joke and launches a fairly successful comedy career. He was cast on Dancing With The Stars, but was only brought onto the show last minute. He was just in the building when the executives suddenly decided that this season was going to have twice as many stars as usual.
_________________________
Tomorrow, when the farm boys find this freak of nature, its body will be wrapped in newspaper.
But tonight both calves are alive and in the north field with their mother. It is a perfect summer evening: the moon rising over the orchard, the wind in the grass
As the twins look at the stars, out of one eye, they look at each other. They do not know their connection will kill them. They love each other until their organs give out.
_________________________
As the twins look at the stars, out of one eye, they look at each other. They both think to themselves “My connection to him will kill me”. They distrust each other until their organs give out.
_________________________
But tonight he is alive and in the north field with his mother. The mother looks at her son and thinks: I am you. You are me. I will love you until my organs give out.
_________________________
Two farm boys, conjoined twins, find this freak of nature. The last thing he feels is a four-armed embrace. They bury him.
________________________
“Does it matter?” Asks one calf head.
“Does what matter?” responds the other.
“Whether we are two calves or one. We share the heart that loves our mother. We share the skin that feels the wind. We share the organs that will fail us. We will both be alive in this one place, on this one night, we will not have different experiences at all.”
“I think it’s different,” says the other calf. They never speak again.
________________________
The twin calves have two brains. Neither brain will be present in the body on display in the museum.
________________________
But tonight he is alive in the north field with his mother.
It is a perfect summer evening: the moon rising over the orchard, the wind in the grass
The calf has one brain and four eyes. He makes real eye contact with himself and understands more than most ever do.
________________________
But tonight he is alive and in the north field.
The calf has one brain and four eyes.
He adores both of his mothers.
_______________________
The twin calves have two brains, shared by one body.
As they look at the stars, with one eye, they look at each other.
I am not you. You are not me
But I cannot be myself without also being you.
Being you is great.
I wish I could be you for longer.
I love you with all of our heart.
This poem was inspired by “the scorpion and the frog” by sadoeuphemist on tumblr, linked here.
Thank you to Jacqueline, Syd, and Rebecca for proofreading/suggested edits.