Summary

An airline attendant invites first class passengers to board a plane. They then invite members of privileged circles and rewards programs, followed by high society and fashionable travellers. Once the most privileged and wealthy passengers have boarded, the attendant invites “mediocre” people (Line 40), followed by underprivileged and finally homeless people.

Analysis

“Thank You for Waiting” opens with an airline attendant’s announcement: “At this moment in time we’d like to invite / First Class passengers only to board the aircraft.” (Lines 1-2). This is a familiar refrain that most readers will recognize from their own experiences at airports. The poet uses this familiarity to give the reader a way into the poem and subversively asks them to view the narrative through the lens of their own experiences. The following stanza break hints at a subtle change in tone, at which point the speaker invites...