By The Days is a compilation of Sam Starbuck’s poetry from 2003 to 2013. Sometimes funny, sometimes thoughtful, and sometimes slyly satirical, Sam’s work centers around themes of renewal, social responsibility, understanding of history, and the wonders of daily life. The public face is all we’ve had For those who took up fragile tools And softly tapped the infinite; Of what they felt about it all Betraying not a twitch or tic. If poets laughed dishonestly As people laugh and talk in crowds, If writers wept for private loss And never said a word aloud – In short if they felt as we feel (And who denies their human lives?) Then we can never really know Except for fictions left behind What makes a mind as bright as brass And our life seem as clear as glass.

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