Selected Poems

Norman MacLeod

When Ahsahta Press began to publish poetry in 1975, the first poet selected by press founder and editor Tom Trusky was native westerner Norman MacLeod. MacLeod, born in 1906, had been published in some of the leading periodicals of his day and also produced several novels. After fifty years of writing, teaching, and publishing, his poetry had become largely unknown to contemporary readers. The editors of Ahsahta Press sought out a representative body of MacLeod’s work and presented Selected Poems as the inaugural publication of the then-burgeoning press. More than a quarter-century later, contemporary readers still have the opportunity to read and appreciate Norman MacLeod for his writing, his contributions to the literature of the western United States, and for his place in Ahsahta Press history.

A sample poem from the book

Evening Above the Snake

At Weiser our sweaters were a sunset for the evening

As we leaned against the railings of the bridge

Over the Snake River. The park on the island

Was a wanness of electric lights, and the bushes

Were a distillation of love. We were tired

Of shooting bee-bee guns and were too young to drink.

We smoked cigarettes as a gesture of manhood

And bolstered the breast with our breath,

Proud of our prowess in athletics. It must have been risky

To pass the blaze of our sweaters at dark.