Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton
called me up
just to say
that he liked it when I interviewed him because
I never asked him if he was
a vampire.

I said I appreciated his noticing
and we talked about
Arkansas
and how there were guys
working in the Peavey plant
who could play guitar
every bit
as good as
Jimi Hendrix.

Yet some of them
manage to be happy
despite the fact
they are not
immortal.

Miller Williams

Miller Williams says
sometimes you have to lie your way to the truth.

That’s good to know.
And even better
remember,
at times like these,
sweetheart.

Philip Martin is a columnist and feature writer at The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and the author of The Shortstop’s Son and The Artificial Southerner.