Keesha's House

“I face each night

by calling this place home. No one’s going to see me acting scared.”

Though the house belongs to Joe, Keesha makes it her own and turns into a symbol of acceptance. Keesha survives “by calling this place home”—her tie to the home is a source of strength for her. Keesha’s emphasis on not appearing afraid highlights the precarity of her situation and the exceptional quantity of toughness she needs to manage her daily life. This quote represents The Need for Resilience.

“This could drive

you crazy: Just try to do some little thing like drive

a friend that needs a ride, and you keep

findin’ yourself locked up.”

The sestina form shows the malleability of words and how the meaning changes depending on the context. Carmen gets put in juvenile detention because she drove Dontay home. As the seemingly innocuous act has drastic consequences, the drive “drives” her “crazy.” Like the characters in the book, words have layers.

“I got out of bed, drove around looking for her all night—

past the school, back and forth past her house,

surprised how much I want her back. Is it too late?”

The image of Jason driving around and looking for Stephie showcases his dedication to her. The sestina form continues to reveal the agility of words. Jason tells Stephie’s dad that her period is “late,” and now he wonders if he’s demonstrated his commitment to her too “late.” Jason’s surprise at wanting Stephie demonstrates the complexity of his character, as he both wants a basketball college career and a relationship with Stephie. Unlike the coach who values Jason for his skill alone, Jason allows himself to care about more than just his own potential.

“Everybody act so hard all day, and then at night

you hear ’em cryin’.”

Dontay uses juxtaposition to highlight the differences between the foster kids during the day and at night. When it’s light out, they appear tough, but at night, they reveal their vulnerabilities. The enjambed line reinforces the juxtaposition by forcing the reader to pause immediately after night. This quote highlights The Need for Resilience, even the appearance of it, to survive emotionally challenging times.

“Forget about your grandma.

If she don’t come to visiting hours

the first week you're here, she don’t want you back.”

The “white girl” says this to Carmen, and her quote reinforces the perception that adults are often uncaring and unreliable. However, Carmen’s grandmother believes in Carmen and helps her get out of juvenile detention and confront her substance use disorder, proving that some adults are capable of more than others.

“But I can give them space—and space is time.”

Joe’s quote turns his house—Keesha’s house—into a symbol of time. When young people go there, they have a safe environment where they can think things over and decide their next moves. The best choice might be staying for an extended or indefinite period.

“My parents preached

at me. I listened. I won't do the same

to Steph. She has to do this on her own.”

Stephie’s mother creates a perplexing calculation. She doesn’t want to lecture Stephie the way her parents lectured here, ultimately leading her to birth her first child and place it up for adoption. Instead, she has no contact with Stephie whatsoever. Laura doesn’t consider that she can connect with Stephie by treating her as an equal. This quote captures The Flaws of Families, as Laura’s choice not to communicate with her daughter is unproductive.

“I want to help her straighten out. But oh,

it’s hard. Lord, give me strength to carry all

the burdens people tryin’ to put on me.”

Roberta wants to be an ally for her granddaughter and give Carmen the support she needs so that she can confront her substance use disorder. However, Roberta isn’t sure she has the resilience to help Carmen. The enjambment reinforces the overwhelming feeling of responsibility: Her heavy obligations break the line. Roberta demonstrates that The Need for Resilience applies to adults, too.

“Things

I’ll have to turn my back on if I stay home

with Stephie. Stay home and watch ESPN, watch the team

I could have been on.”

Jason struggles with belonging, and the conflicting identities—father or basketball star—manifest through repetition. The sestina form produces the repetition of “home,” but Frost adds the repetition of “watch.” Through repetition, Jason reinforces his trepidation over sacrificing his athletic life. He doesn’t want to watch basketball on TV: He wants to be the basketball player people watch on TV. Jason’s relationship with The Quest for Belonging means that he will have to navigate a relationship while also staying true to his own goals.

“I guess I went off the deep end that time,

and as of today, no one’s pulled

me out. Sometimes I just want to sleep for months.”

“[T]he deep end” symbolizes an irrevocable movement. When Katie’s father goes off “the deep end,” he does something that has long-lasting consequences. Similarly, when Katie goes off “the deep end,” she makes a choice that has transformative consequences. As facing adversity requires strength, Katie is exhausted and would rather sleep. However, Katie doesn’t avoid her situation: She confronts it and her choice to go off “the deep end.” In turn, Keesha’s house offers her a place to rest after her long days of school and work.

“They measure us against each other, but no one knows what we

go through to get where we start from.”

 “They” alludes to adults and their inclination of judging a young person by overt standards like grades or athletic performance. Stephie turns athletics—track and field, specifically—into a metaphor. Adults don’t know what it takes for the younger people to get from the starting line to the finish line, because they’re not aware of what’s happening inside of them. Through poetry, the teen characters can express their range of emotions.

“[W]e're both confused by this relief and love and sadness, sure

of some answers, already facing other questions.”

Jason reveals his and Stephie’s contrasting emotions as they lose their baby and simultaneously experience love and sadness. The enjambment twists the meaning of “sure,” as neither are truly certain of what they should do, and they already have more “questions” about their future.

“This home

I have is nice enough, but it’s not really mine.”

Keesha’s quote showcases the complexity of the title. The house doesn’t belong to Keesha—Joe owns it—but Joe lets Keesha decide who they let in and where they stay. Though Keesha has been at the house for a substantial period, she still doesn’t feel like she truly belongs there. This quote highlights The Quest for Belonging, even when someone appears to others like they belong. Keesha wants a “normal” home life, but through resilience, she keeps herself and others happy with the sanctuary they have.

“I know I’m the only one that can tell myself the truth

and make me listen. If I go home, will I just pick

up where I left off, or can I change?”

Carmen furthers the motif of self-reliance, as she believes she can only depend on herself to change her behavior. The support of her grandmother undercuts her thesis. The enjambment that breaks “pick” from “up” provides a subtle clue that Carmen will break from her harmful patterns.

“Sound like the same

old story: they get paid, he don’t get fed.”

While the teen characters are suspicious of adults, the adults are skeptical of each other, with Dontay’s father wondering if his foster family only took him in so they could get money from the government. Charles’s fear isn’t verifiable, as Anthony’s poem showcases genuine concern for Dontay.

“I believe Carmen will be okay.

I’ll talk straight, then send her on her way.”

The judge has faith in Carmen, and the English sonnet reinforces the judge’s strong belief in Carmen as the final two lines in an English sonnet rhythm. The rhyme gives the judge’s belief a forceful snap and sense of determination. Carmen proves the judge right. She stops drinking alcohol, so she will likely “be okay.”

“Greg’s wrong.

I’ve read enough books by now to know.”

Jeannine, Harris’s mother, is aware that her husband’s anti-gay beliefs are wrong. The punctuation and the end-stopped line reinforce her perception. The period indicates that there’s nothing else to say. The line break also suggests that there’s no room for Greg to argue his point. However, Jeannine doesn’t stand up to Greg, so she’s complicit in his anti-gay views, ultimately betraying her son.

“Look, everyone! Our streets

are paved with gold!”

The exclamation points reinforce Stephie’s euphoria over not having to take on the role of a teen mother. The image of golden streets advance her gleeful feelings, which Frost juxtaposes by placing her giddiness alongside Tobias’s death. Further, the extreme joy in this moment foreshadows Stephie’s back-and-forth struggle with the loss of her baby.

“I saw Steph reach out, heard her say to Keesha, He…

then stop and step back. That one word, he,

was more than Keesha could hear.”

As in Chapter 6, Chapter 44 pivots on the pronoun “he.” With Harris, the “he” represents his gay identity. With Keesha, the “he” refers to her dead brother. As Keesha isn’t ready to confront his death, the word triggers her, and she leaves the funeral, returning to the house, where Joe comforts her after she breaks down.

“[S]ome sound

was coming out of me. I still

don’t know where it got started—it felt good

and awful all at once.”

Keesha finds catharsis by releasing a perplexing sound, representing her conflicting and unresolved emotions about Tobias and her place in the world. The enjambment adds to the jumble, as it fragments “good” and “awful,” making it seem like they can’t exist in the same line or space. This captures the complexity and confusion of grief and loss.

“I’m living in a house with open windows.”

Harris’s mother turns “window” into a symbol for perception. She wants to open a “window” in Greg so that he can have a favorable view of Harris. Yet Keesha’s house already has “open windows,” or supportive, tolerant beliefs, so Harris claims he doesn’t need his father or his mother. Harris’s relationship with The Quest for Belonging has been satisfied.

“But I won’t refer

them to authorities, don’t want to stir

up trouble.”

Jason is something of an outlier among the teen characters. He has faith in adults, which he displays by his mention of “authorities.” Jason won’t alert the applicable agencies about Keesha’s house, but the mention suggests he believes it’s not a bad idea. Jason has never been let down by the adults around him, and he shows guaranteed promise that has never been doubted. His perspective adds depth to the concept of Keesha’s house, as it does not exist for someone like Jason.

“He knows some kids

at Keesha’s house on Jackson Street, and none

of ’em is into drinkin’. Friday nights he heads

down there, and lately I go too.”

The “he” is Dontay, and he brings Carmen to Keesha’s house, which advances the idea of belonging. The people there accept her and don’t try to pressure her to consume alcohol, allowing her to grow into herself and her new life with ease and support.