Lady in Red
I’m not sure what town it was in or even what route we were on, but there it was etched in large red letters under that bridge. I think it might have been Connecticut or somewhere near the Saw Mill Parkway.
Someone had written the name “Annie” under the overpass. Though I’ve seen similar graffiti countless times, this one stood out. I started wondering who it was who wrote that and why he wrote it. I wondered how old he was when he wrote it and how old he is now – if he is even alive. What was it about her that he saw? How was he able to spray paint from that angle and why did he pick red? I also wondered what his relationship had been like with Annie. Had he dated her? Did he like her more than she liked him? Did she care about him? Did she ever see that sign? What did she think about it? Did she know it was written for her? Does she think of that guy anymore? Does he still think of her?
It seems that only one thing is clear to me. At some point, he saw something of great value or significance in her and wanted to express the feelings wrapped up in her name to some sort of audience. And there her name is, frozen in time, written in large red block letters for all to see. Regardless of whether he still thinks about her or she ever thought about him, I saw it and am thinking about both of them – wondering if it worked out.
