National Poetry Month, Day #?: Yussi Breningstall, Age 10

This poem comes from Alligator Juniper, the first lit mag I ever worked on, out of Prescott College in Arizona.

We had a yearly contest and during this particular reading period, one of the contest entries was 10-year-old Yussi Breningstall's poem. We didn't publish it in the body of the magazine, but we did print it in the editor's note.

Oh Summers Past
by Yussi Breningstall

Oh, summers past
Oh, I remember Sholom
going swimming with me.
Oh, summers past
Oh, I remember Shimshon
on the baseball field.
Oh, he did hit those balls.
Oh, summers past
Oh, I can remember
Dovber in the attic
of the bunkhouse
Oh, summers past
Oh, I remember Mendy
and me planning to
raid another bunk.
Oh, summers past
Oh, I remember Shmueli laughing
when I told him
about the tooth fairy.
Oh, summers past.

I did google young Yussi, who would be 22 years old now, but only found a marriage announcement to one Cheved Miller. No photo. And no way to know if it's actually him. Oh, summers past.