In the memory of Ladan and Laleh Bijani, Iranian conjoined twins who died
during a separation surgery on July 9th, 2003.

United the two twins stood,
But wanting to go a different way,
For their own personal good,
And together they couldn’t stay.

Condemned together from start to finish,
From their birth until they would parish,
From their cradle to their grave,
All the way, they had to be brave.

Would they have chosen to be here,
Knowing what was for them in store?
Had they been able to know more,
Would they have wanted to be so near?

One wanted to become a journalist,
Maybe become a Pulitzer finalist,
The other wanted to become a lawyer,
She was the extrovert, the easygoer.

Living with a permanent headmate,
They had to pass through a larger gate,
Always together, when wanting to be alone,
Until one day, the light of the surgery shone.

They knew their chances were slim,
And probability of success were dim,
But by God, they wanted to be free,
It wasn’t an impulse, like a shopping spree.

It was a need to become a full individual,
They wanted to be what was considered normal,
But the price of liberty was extremely high,
Not knowing how close the end and nigh.

One person at a time they wanted to be,
Like the little engine, they thought they could,*
Living separately as they should,
And be able to say “I” instead of “we”.

Well, they say it was a heavenly will,
But when I will die and my body be still,
Assuming I will go to heaven, I will not be shy,
I will ask God up-front: Please tell me why?

*Inspired by Watty Pipers’ “The little engine that could”