Me And My Shadow: A Constrain'd Alphabet

A initials 'alter ego.' 

Mon ami y mi amigo.

A starts, too, 'another you.' 

"Y'all both got bubbe’s eyebrows, nu...?"

B initials 'body double.' 

Takes the heat in times of trouble.

B, as well, starts 'blizniak.'* 

(Too late to send that brother back.)

     * Polish for 'twin.'

     

C initials 'corollary.' 

One’s okay; two's kinda scary.

C, as well, initials 'clone.' 

(How nice to know one’s not alone!)

D initials 'dvyniai.'* 

(The elder’s straight; the younger’s bi-.)
D, as well, starts 'dopplegang.' 

That’s twice – at least! – the postman rang.
     * Lithuanian for 'twin.'

E starts 'extra pair of hands.' 

She goes to bat. She understands.
E, as well, starts 'evil twin.' 

Take care! ‘Sno telling where it's been.

F initials 'faithful friend,' 

one’s kemo sabe. Help he’ll lend.
F starts, in addition, 'fetch.' 

"Which kid’s the khaver, which the kvetch...?"

G initials 'gemini.' 

(A pair I know’s call'd Clem ‘n’ Cy.)
G, as well, starts 'gimoozaabi.'* 

(Etymology’s my hobby.)
      * Ojibwe and Potawatomi for “he/she looks out in secret.” A version of the word was made famous as part of the Lone Ranger saga.

H initials 'hologram.' 

Both boys; both bald. (One sports a tam.)
H initials 'Hortons.'* Tom 

(with Addie)...? Famous soaps phenom.
        * Twins, one of whom appears on soap opera "Days of Our Lives"

I starts 'ihmiskaksoset.'* 

A pickle to pronounce...? You bet
I intials 'Ito teens.' 

Of Nippon Pop they're former queens.
     * Footnote to come: a work in progress

J initiates 'jumeau.'* 

(Have I the accent right...? Who’d know!)
J begins 'Johansson,' too. 

Young Hunter’s Scarlett’s twin. (Who knew...?)

K initiates 'karoha,' 

twin in Samar (not Samoa).
K, as well, kicks off 'kembar,' 

heard mispronounced on NPR.

L initials 'lookalike.' 

(Is not Tot Two the cuter tyke...?)
L, as well, initials 'likeness' – 

equal parts sauvage and "tyke"ness.

M initials 'mirror image.' 

Each exchange with him’s a scrimmage.
M, as well, starts 'matching set.' 

Brings meanings new to ‘tete-a-tete.’

N initials ‘nother self.' 

Both crow, “My bro’s a freakin' elf.”
N, as well, starts 'Norvo girls.' 

(That ‘s Mim and Liv to you, you churls.)

O initials 'opp’site number.' 

One be dumb and Two be dumber.
O, as well, starts 'Olsen twins.' 

Much like those Norvos, for their sins.

P initiates 'pretender.' 

(One’s of unspecific gender.)
P, as well, starts 'Polish Pair.' 

These twins make films. (Pretend you care.)

Q initiates 'quintuplet.' 

Paired’s a triplet with a couplet.
Q initials Brothers 'Quay.' 

They’re into film and puppet play.

R begins 'reciprocal.' 

One sib is hip; one sib is dull.
R, as well, begins 'reflection.' 

Viva natural selection!

S initials 'symbiant.' 

(Can you name ev’ry Dax...? I can’t)
S, as well, starts 'surrogate.' 

Resemblances seem clear…somewhat.

T initials 'Tweedle brothers.' 

Selfsame father; diff'rent mothers.
T starts 'twin' as well as 'tvilling': 

flesh and spirit both unwilling.

U initials 'Ubermensch,' 

the better self (in Deutsch, not French).
U, as well, starts 'ut’rine double.' 

Both survive…within a bubble.

V starts 'verisimilar' – 

not fine when Heinrich Himmilar.
V, as well, starts 'vardøger.' 

To play the twin’s been hard on ‘er.

W starts 'Wetherbee.' 

He’s Tony’s twin. A wether, he.
W starts 'wulawa.' 

Both simulacra drool, a flaw.

X starts 'xystos.' X starts 'xyst.' 

They’re language doublets. (Don’t get piss'd.)
X, as well, starts 'Xerox copy.' 

(She’s so slick. Why’s he so sloppy...?)

Y initials 'Young.' One's Will. 

Twin Rupert fills this double bill.
Y initials 'yokalogue.' 

This pair’s enough to choke a blog.

Z...? That letter kickstarts 'zwilling' 

(two’s okay, though three prove chilling)
and 'Zikarsky' (Bjorn und Bengt). 

Enough with twins. My vision’s spent.