In the Waiting Room Language and Communication Quotes

The National Geographic has a hand in sparking Elizabeth's penetrating questions that come later in the poem. Elizabeth seems just as interested in the photos as in the articles, if not more so: the poem says that she "studied" the photographs.

National Geographic is famous for its yellow margins. After being overwhelmed by the photos, Elizabeth looks at the cover, as if to remind herself that everything she's seen is contained in the magazine. It's not part of her real life if it stays within the magazine's covers, right?

Elizabeth just can't stop thinking about the magazine. Even as she imagines herself falling, she still can't even look away from it.