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Best Poems Written by Rachel Kovacs

Below are the all-time best Rachel Kovacs poems as chosen by PoetrySoup members

Details | Rachel Kovacs Poem

Will You Tie My Shoes When I Grow Old

You were beautiful, 
my tiny child, 
wrapped tightly in my arms, 
close to my heart.
I listened to you breathing.
I counted your fingers
and your toes.
Helpless, 
you cried out to me
and I loved you
with every ounce of my soul.

Will you hear me
when I cry out? 
Will you hold me close
as I held you then? 

I remember the day
You took your first step.
There was no stopping you.
Your feet gave you freedom
to explore the world
like never before
but danger lurked.
I opened those doors anyway, 
cautiously, 
and introduced
you to the world.
Where will you be
when my legs
no longer run? 
no longer work? 
Will you realize
that I love
freedom too? 

I laugh
about that day
you first tied your shoe.
We tried and tried
to get that rabbit
in that hole
and you finally did it.
You pointed your toes
for everyone to see
how proud you were.

I am proud too, 
of my writing
and my drawing, 
of my needlework
and my cooking.
But my hands are beginning to ache
and my fingers will not bend.
I will lose the things
that make me proud
except for you.
Hopefully not you.
Will you let me
brag on you? 
Even tell wild stories
that are a bit beyond the truth? 
Will you be proud of me too? 

I waved good-bye
that morning when you left
on that large, yellow bus.
I was so scared.
I know you were too.
You waved at me bravely
through the dusty window
but I saw the water
forming in your eyes.
You came home, however, 
full of pride and joy.
You sang the alphabet song
and got most of it right.
You practiced for hours
until you could sing it
even in your sleep.

But 
I'm afraid.
I forgot
whether I took
my pills today or not.
I forgot
if I told this story before.
I even forgot once
who you were
and it terrified me.
My mind
is my treasure
the only thing I have left, 
and I heard you make
fun of me
for not remembering
that I gave you the
same gift as last year.
Will you love me
when I no longer
know who I am? 

You came home blushing
from the glow of
your first kiss.
Your first love, 
the one you thought was real.
You talked about him non-stop.
You changed for him. You gave.
But he left you anyway
for a blue-eyed girl
and I held you
while you cried for him.

I too have a
broken heart.
The love of my life
left me after
fifty-six years.
He left me here
to live life on my own
while he moved on
to another realm
And I cry for him too.
I long for his shoulder
and strong embrace.
I feel betrayed
because he and I
made a deal
that we would never
leave the other alone.
Yet I am alone
sitting in an echoing house
with no hands to hold.

You welcomed her home today- 
your tiny baby girl.
She has your eyes
and possibly your toes.
I see you counting them
as they roll me
into the room.
You finally came
to visit.
It has been a while.

You look up at me
with tears in your eyes
and ask
almost desperately, 

"Will she tie my
shoes
when I get old? "

Details | Rachel Kovacs Poem

Night Angel

They needed help
Walking alone in the dark.
The man.
The child.
A broken down car.
The child frightened,
But not understanding
The terror
That would soon
Come her way.
Her parents petrified
That their baby was gone,
Agonizing
Over forbidden images
That crowded their way
Past ice cream sundays
And birthday parties
And wedding days.
A passer-by.
A doer of good deeds.
He stops.
He sees.
He looks into
the little girl's eyes.
Bravely
The girl speaks,
"This is not my dad"
And the coward
who took her,
He runs.
He hides.
The passer-by,
Believing he saved
A child
From a long, cold walk,
In reality
Saved a child
From a long, cold death.

Details | Rachel Kovacs Poem

Step-Mom

My step-mom brought her stuff today.
It really made me mad.
She moved right in and changed the house.
She even changed my Dad.
She makes my bacon way too crisp.
She tries to fix my hair.
And when she shops for nail polish,
She buys enough to share.
To make it worse, she brought her cat
It hides beneath my bed. 
And then she made me go with her
To a hill where we could sled.
My step-mom' isn't like me
and there are different rules,
But just between the two of us
My step-mom's kinda cool.

Details | Rachel Kovacs Poem

Baa Baa Black Sheep

Baa Baa Black Sheep
We don't want your wool.

Please sir, Please sir,
I have three bags full.

You are too old.
You are out of date.

But I work hard,
And I'm never late.

You don't have the
Look we're looking for.

That's no reason to
Boot me out the door.

We want new skills
For this vocation.

But I have twice
The education.

You have too much
Experience now.

But they have none!
They don't even know how!

Baa Baa Black sheep,
We don't want your wool.

Job security?
I've been played the fool.

Details | Rachel Kovacs Poem

America

Oh land of the free
And home of the brave, where are you?
Where is the torch that hearkens
The tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to be free?
When did freedom of religion
Become acceptance of
Only one religion?
When did freedom of speech only exist
When the listener and speaker agreed?
Why are we intolerant of extremists abroad, 
But blindly follow extremists we call left or right?

When did news become fake news when it
Stated things that the listener did not like?
When did peaceful protests get vilified 
And intimidation get glorified?
When did public servants 
Stop serving the public?
When will equal justice truly be equal 
despite race, culture, religion, and gender?
Is America, the beautiful
Truly beautiful
When we close our minds
And close our hearts?
Can we be proud to be American
And hate anyone unlike ourselves?

We argue over building
Physical walls,
But ignore
The spiritual walls and
The emotional walls
That we build
To silences differences.
My country, tis of thee,
My sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I plead.
Love your neighbor as yourself,
Forgive others as you were forgiven,
Clothe yourself in compassion, kindness, and humility,
For that is what will make America 
Great again.

Details | Rachel Kovacs Poem

Naked

My blood trickles
through the tip of my pen
as my soul is exposed
yet once again.

Naked, my words
slowly open the door,
and step into the world
largely ignored.

Fearfully, they
confront giants of hate,
bigotry, ignorance,
Thus fixing their fate.

So bleeding, I
press my pen to the page
and bear my soul once more
to cowards’ rage.

Details | Rachel Kovacs Poem

Snow Angels

Twenty sets of footprints
scattered in the snow.
Twenty wings that flutter
as the breeze begins to blow.

Twenty peals of laughter,
Twenty toothless grins,
Twenty eyes that twinkle
as their journey begins.

Twenty desks left empty.
Million hearts that mourn.
Six will join to guide them,
unsung heroes born.

Twenty little angels
playing in the snow
dropping tiny snowflakes
on those who stayed below.

Details | Rachel Kovacs Poem

Running

I've trained for this. 
Lungs burning, muscles twitching
as I close in
on the line-
24,25,26.
I see them clearly now-
My wife, my child-
smiling, cheering
as they urge me
through the echoes
of feet smacking
pavement,
through my 
tunneled view of
the victory line,
through my exhaustion,
through my pain.

I've trained for this.
Lungs burning, muscles twitching
as I close in on my targets.
Thousands! There are many!
I can see them clearly now-
a woman, a child-
smiling, cheering
as I slip past
and drop my bags.
And now I am
running
through the 
smoke and through the
screams as runners push
toward the finish line
without legs.

I've trained for this.
Lungs burning, muscles twitching
as I close in
on the scene.
175, 176...
I see them clearly now-
the woman, the child-
lifeless, bleeding
as they urge me
through echoes 
of feet smacking
pavement,
through my
tunneled view of 
torment and death and
I can do nothing but
hold their hand.

Details | Rachel Kovacs Poem

Life Boat

I drift
In a sea of
Responsibilities
Desperately seeking my ship of
Lost dreams.

Details | Rachel Kovacs Poem

The Shoe

He could be someone’s father
Or brother
Or friend.
He could be
The one to cure cancer,
The one who
Saves a child
From a burning building,
The one who
Sobers up
And leads
Others to
Do so as well.
But right now,
He’s a drunk
Who has probably
Spent all of his money
On booze,
The one
Who is ungrateful,
The one who
Won’t remember,
The one who will
Lose his life
Over a fallen shoe.
And you are the one
Who can save him.