Part Of The Sum (Flash! Friday)

Construction of the Statue of Liberty's Pedestal CC2.0 photo by National Parks Service, Statue of Liberty c.1875 (via Flash! Friday)

Part Of The Sum

One set of skinned knees in shorts.  Two long socked legs hop – jump – skip.  Year Three of six, added to, equalling Eleven Plus.  Percentages determine geography’s equation, history recorded.  Divided, two part - their sum presently unknown.  One minus one is one.

Two promise as one, united faithful before their countless congregated.  Twinned rings are exchanged, separate inscriptions catching the light.  Confetti mingles afterwards amidst her dark hair.  Three tiers of carefully constructed confectionery stand tall mid table by evening.  Two added are one.

Three form from two - wails announcing his arrival.  Paired smiles contrast with intermittent cries, interspersed with sleepy silence.  Blankets swaddle tiny tufts sprouting from an as yet misshapen head.  He is held two armed, encircled by four.  Two multiplied is three.

Two stand as one, dark clad arms holding each other, apart from a crowd.  Four trickling lines of moisture glisten across their faces, as they stand before a lone marble tablet bearing two dates, mere digits apart.  Two minus one leaves two.

One faces one, the table separating them.  He puts his pen to the paper, scrawling.  “I’m can’t anymore,” he says.  Brow furrowed, she shakes her head – pauses - signs - without meeting his gaze.  Divided, two part.  One minus one is one.

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A 210 word piece for this week's Flash! Friday, which had to incorporate the above photo prompt and the theme of "defeat".  This one proved quite tricky to write, given each paragraph had to be exactly 42 words long to allow for the deliberate increase and then decrease in number from paragraph one through to five to add to the sense of loss at the conclusion.