Exploring Key Themes in Broken Things by Risa Walker

Well, let me tell ya ’bout this “Broken Things Risa,” or whatever it’s called. I ain’t no scholar, mind you, but I’ll tell ya what I think.

So, this Risa girl, she’s got a life, just like you and me. But it ain’t all sunshine and roses, no sir. Sounds like her life’s kinda messed up, like a dropped plate, all shattered in pieces. Broken things, ya know? That’s what this whole thing is about.

Now, there’s this other book, “The Way Into Lovelorn,” written by some gal named Georgia. It’s like one of them stories that ain’t finished, leaves ya hangin’. Like when you’re watchin’ your favorite show and the power goes out right at the good part. Burns ya up, don’t it? These girls in the story, they’re all riled up about it, so they decide to finish it themselves. Call it “A Return to Lovelorn.” Sounds like they got too much time on their hands, if you ask me.

Then there’s this other thing, this poem, “I Will Keep Broken Things.” It’s about keepin’ stuff, even if it’s broke. Like, old pots with the heads knocked off, or a basket from way back when. This lady, Alice Walker, she wrote it. She’s talkin’ ’bout keepin’ memories too, like swimmin’ at night with someone special. Keepsakes, I guess you’d call ’em. Reminds me of that old chipped teacup my grandma used to have. Wouldn’t let nobody throw it away.

• It makes ya think, don’t it? About what’s worth keepin’.
• Is it the fancy stuff, all shiny and new?
• Or is it the stuff that’s been through the wringer, the stuff that’s got stories to tell?

This poem, it’s about acceptin’ things the way they are. Like, if a plate breaks, ya don’t just throw it away. Maybe ya glue it back together, or maybe ya just keep the pieces. ‘Cause even broken things got value. They remind ya of where you been, what you’ve been through.

It’s the same with people, I reckon. We all get a little broke sometimes. Life ain’t easy. But that don’t mean we ain’t worth keepin’. We all got our cracks and chips, but that’s what makes us who we are. Resilience, they call it. Like that old weed that keeps comin’ back no matter how many times ya pull it.

This Alice lady, she ends her poem with somethin’ about keepin’ herself. That’s important, ya know? Gotta take care of yourself, even when things get tough. Gotta keep your own pieces together, even when the world tries to break ya apart.

So, back to this Risa and her broken things. I guess it’s about findin’ the good in the bad, the strength in the weakness. It’s about pickin’ up the pieces and makin’ somethin’ new. Maybe it ain’t perfect, maybe it’s got cracks and chips, but it’s still somethin’. And maybe, just maybe, it’s even more beautiful because it’s been broken.

And that “Lovelorn” book? Maybe it’s like life, ya know? Never really finished. Always somethin’ more to write, always somethin’ more to learn. And those girls, writin’ their own ending? Well, that’s just like us, makin’ our own way in this world, even when things don’t go as planned. We gotta make our own happy endings, ain’t nobody gonna do it for us.

Hope, that’s what it’s all about. Even when things look bleak, gotta keep that little spark alive. Gotta believe that things can get better, that even broken things can be put back together, or at least, cherished for what they are.

So that’s my take on it. Like I said, I ain’t no scholar, but I know a thing or two about life. And I know that broken things ain’t always a bad thing. Sometimes, they’re the things that make us stronger, the things that make us who we are.

This “Broken Things Risa” and all this talk about broken stuff, well, it just reminds you life ain’t perfect, but you keep going anyway.

Tags: [Broken Things, Risa, Lovelorn, Alice Walker, I Will Keep Broken Things, Resilience, Hope, Keepsakes, Acceptance, Poetry]