The Leprechaun
written by: Joe Brazeal
Often, I pondered as a child growing up,
Many mornings, I sat eating breakfast star struck,
I became transfixed on the Lucky Charms cereal box.
Can this be, what can it do?
My imagination took hold;
I was always reminded when I saw this little person
wearing a green waistcoat with funny shoes and hat,
promising a pot of gold,
he granted wishes if captured and held at hand.
But where can I find this magical little man?
He was in Ireland, a land I would never know.
As with many legends, fallacies, things to be chagrined,
a child growing older, I finally let it all go.
Fifty years have passed;
I had forgotten about my inner promise I made to myself—
that one day I’d come across The Leprechaun.
As if a whirlwind had happened, not sure of the reason,
I found myself in Ireland, on vacation for a short season.
Exiting the plane,
I became determined to know all of the ways
of the Leprechaun in ole’ Emerald Ireland.
In search of a notorious creature as such,
I asked every person what they knew.
For some odd reason,
not one soul dares to share the secrets of The Leprechaun.
From Dublin to Westport, Galway and Cork,
every Irishman kept their mouths shut.
The mere mention of the word
caused a silence to overtake laughter and joking
and turned faces to blank.
Why the weird responses, I never found out.
Yet, they all said something
without a word coming out of their mouths.
One fine Gent, Shaun O’Reilly was his name,
he told me, yes, they exist—but you have to watch carefully.
Watch the blades of grass, the clover, and leaves,
they play especially in the shamrock
at dusk and dawn before the light illuminates.
“If you see a blade of grass move,
pay attention for another will soon move too.
When that does, you caught him on the move,
just wait, he may be coming for you.”
There was one final thing he said to me:
“Create a green leaf holding a cobweb
and lay it where you think he was last.
Place the gift under bridges,
near where the trolls live,
under rocks, in hiding places,
especially deep in caves.
This is a treat for them
and will smile and bless you for making them laugh.
The final word of advice, I’ll say to you—
be careful what you wish for, it may come true.
Once you catch one, they may become you!”
With those parting words, my new friend sighed with relief,
for he knew my quest for The Leprechaun found peace at last.
To tell the truth, I did follow his advice—
and this is why I dance and jump and hide.
Don’t forget, heed these words—
for to search and search for that pot of gold,
you might find you, yourself
wearing The Leprechaun Clothes.
- The Leprechaun - August 6, 2025
