Leprechaun

Through my window I watched it float gracefully by An eloquent specimen, a rare butterfly Wings painted black and the brightest of green The most breathtaking creature I ever had seen It flew to the forest in a zig-zagging line And landed to rest on the bark of a pine Flushed with the thrill of the game hunters play I stalked up and captured my elusive prey It struggled and fought with great strength for its size Prying and pinching, I heard muffled cries “Release me!” It squeaked “I will NOT be your prize” I saw tiny legs and angry little eyes ‘My god it’s a Leprechaun!’ I shouted with glee ‘You must grant me one wish now’…”So be it” said he He slashed through my palm and bored to my thumb Til it bulged to the size of a cartoonish plumb... My fingers exploded in bits all around Flesh and bone spattered, blood gushed to the ground I stared in stark terror and mad disbelief My mangled hand swaying like a dangling dead leaf ‘I’m wounded, I’m dying!’ In panic cried And fled to my house to the bathroom inside ‘It’s ruined!’ I screamed as I bled in the sink ‘Now they will notice, now what will they think?’ ‘I know I can never remove all these stains I know that my eyes cannot hide all this pain The veil has been shredded, the wall broken through (I saw something move at the edge of my view) There in the corner the Leprechaun stood Black eyes spinning secrets of evil and good He spread out his wings like a butterfly should Ready to fly back to his tree in the wood He spoke without speaking, "So, what have you caught?" (My mind was struck dumb, stripped clean of all thought) “Now” he laughed softly, “I shall grant your demand” I sank to my knees then and reached forth my hand