What I was trying to do

Walking with a friend in Chicago. A construction site's protective fence caught my eye. Instead of the usual wood, this barrier was a solid sheet of steel, painted black, with ONE WAY stenciled in yellow paint. I walked over to take a photograph of the stencil. As I framed the shot, I saw an American flag, visible through the barrier's pedestrian window. The black wall, the words, the arrow pointing at the flag, the flag distorted by plexiglass, the red undercoat - the symbolism of these elements collided in my mind. I was stunned. I still am.