Diane DeSloover

Diane DeSloover is is a retired elementary teacher pursuing her latest passions of personal historian, proclaimer of gratitude, poet and, best of all, grandma. Diane has lived in Juneau, Alaska for forty-five years where the glory of nature awaits just outside her door. She has published her poems in various Alaska publications.

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► Diane DeSloover's microchap & (selected) poems are available below. Download the single-page PDF by clicking the title.

Origami Microchap with Selected Poems

Be as Present as a Heartbeat

Click title to download micro

Cover: Stock image from web

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Beneath the Ceiling Fan

On the couch, baby Nora
pumps eager legs, squeals
at the dancing wheel above.
Kaleidoscope of shadows
animates her infant body.

She reaches up,
curls tiny fingers
around invisible dreams
while I ignore
the dizzy rotation.

I am content to sit and idolize
her finely arched eyebrows,
lavish curled lashes, round face
wearing hints of Mama’s ready joy,
Papa’s composed elation.

How to Be a Grandma

Train yourself for deep knee bends,
crawling, lifting, running.
Get to bed early. Take your vitamins.
Pretend you are 20 years younger.

Be as present as a heartbeat
observant as a hawk.
Don't miss that first roll to the belly
or new consonant sound.

Try to be happy
when she outgrows the crib,
won't let you dress her,
prefers a playmate her own age.

Contain your fear when he
hangs by his knees on the monkey bars,
climbs higher than you thought possible,
races down the street on his bike.

Never let go of those small arms
wrapped around your legs
squeezing tight.

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Poets