The poem imagines the statue in every town as a lonely figure. People walk past it, glance at it, and then go back to talking about themselves. Only tour groups or neighbors seem to speak about the statue, and even then they mention the person's life and why that person helped others. The speaker notices how easily humans turn every conversation back to their own concerns, even when someone else needs more attention.
The statue is treated like a friend who gets used. It is allowed into the group and appears in the background of every photo, but no one really includes it. Beneath that, the speaker gives it a "warm, hopeful heart" and a patient wish to be accepted and chosen. The poem seems to suggest that the statue stands in for anyone who feels overlooked, wanting someone to stay with them even when no one is watching. The mood is quiet, tender, and a little sad, with a thread of hope in the repeated "waits."