The Old Know

[TranquillityBase]

The Old Know
 
The old know how to fold a map,
to use a rotary phone and
untangle the cord.
 
They know the serenity in writing a letter,
the joy of receiving the reply,
the anticipation in between.
 
The old know that walking,
face in a phone is dangerous
so, they don’t.
 
They know how days are short
when long in years.                                        We all age differently.  I find the days to be actually longer, at least they feel longer.
 
The old know the gift of loving for a lifetime,
and the loneliness of one left behind.
 
The old know the only thing worse
than death,
is not living.

I think some more examples would improve your poem.  I was going to argue about your last line, but the more I read it, the more sense it makes.  Perhaps the cell phone line would work better if it was an observation of everyone else with their phones in their faces, whereas the old remember when we talked to face to face.  I'm also thinking old people have certain priorities and the past is one of them.

My sister said to me, I'm not afraid of death, I'm afraid of dying.

Maybe you could use that.

I agree it's maybe too sentimental.  As another old person of my aquaintance liked to say, old age isn't for sissies.

TqB