Absolutely the only thing I can think of to say about St. Patrick’s Day is: avoid unnaturally green food.  But I’m excited about today’s post because I’ve been waiting for 3 weeks for the opportunity to share this poem by Jack Prelutsky: “I Found a Four-Leaf Clover.”  

Jack Prelutsky poems should definitely be read aloud to children (and adults).  He was the Poetry Foundation’s Children’s Poet Laureate from 2006-2008, and his work is a heap of fun (one of my favorites is “Be Glad Your Nose is On Your Face.”  Kids love that poem).

But what I’m even more excited about today is that when I was Googling background on Jack Prelutsky, an entry from a grade school in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin caught my eye.  It’s an essay that a boy named Joey wrote on the poem, “I Found a Four Leaf Clover” on March 16, 2007, and it’s called “A Four Leaf Clover.”   It’s a must read, especially the last sentence, in which Joey tells us the reasons why it’s important to know the message of this poem.  I’ve posted the link below, so read the poem first, then read the essay.  And Joey, whoever you are, thanks for the insights. 

I Found a Four-Leaf Clover

I found a four-leaf clover
and was happy with my find,
but with time to think it over,
I’ve entirely changed my mind.
I concealed it in my pocket,
safe inside a paper pad,
soon, much swifter than a rocket,
my good fortune turned to bad. 

      I smashed my fingers in a door,
      I dropped a dozen eggs,      
      I slipped and tumbled to the floor,
      a dog nipped both my legs,
      my ring slid down the bathtub drain,
      my pen leaked on my shirt,
      I barked my shin, I missed my train,
      I sat on my dessert.

I broke my brand-new glasses,
and I couldn’t find my keys,
I stepped in spilled molasses,
and was stung by angry bees.
When the kitten ripped the curtain,
and the toast burst into flame,
I was absolutely certain
that the clover was to blame. 

       I buried it discreetly      
       in the middle of a field,
       now my luck has changed completely,
       and my wounds have almost healed.
       If I ever find another,
       I will simply let it be,
       or I’ll give it to my brother—
       he deserves it more than me.

Jack Prelutsky

“A Four Leaf Clover,” by Joey, Sheboygan Falls, WI   (an excerpt–“The message in this poem is important for others to know because if they think that they will always get they way they will never know that life does not always work the way you want it to. So I think that the message should be told to others”).