Dara Wier

Big Belt Buckles

You know what I mean.
You know a big belt buckle when you see one.
You know what a big belt buckle means.
It means there is maybe a demon inside there.
It’s like a Pennsylvania Dutch barn hex sign or really good graffiti on a wall somewhere
or something or other.
It’s like an insignia.
It’s like a bead with an eye and an eyelid on it.
Something to think away demons away. Away. Away.
It’s like a tarantula dipped in honey.
It’s like rain.
It’s like me making a cross over my left breast.
A secret sign.
Cross that out, Lucy Ives. Donald Barthelme never wore a big belt buckle
though he was from Texas from where a lot of BBB’s originate.
And from time immemorial many who have worn them there, in Texas,
were, sincerely, wearing
them on purpose.
A demon in capital letters is a demon one can deal with.
A demon who says who he is.
(none of this will be taking into account the authentic rituals concerned with rodeo prizes) (congratulations all you winners out there in rodeo land! we have loved you!)
Some women wear big belt buckles too.
Esp. now.
Pardon me, women.
You all know what women mean.
Women are an enormous distraction.
We are talking about what big belt buckles mean on men. That’s all.
One who sports a big belt buckle is saying something.
What? What? That is the question.
Do you have the answer?
You is non-gender specific!
Thus we love it. We is also good for the same reason.
My least favorite pronouns have always been he and she.
They are the only ones who delimit us often unnecessarily, often, pointlessley.
A scarab beetle’s image would make an awesome big belt buckle.
Thank you, Wallace Stevens.
What else?
You name it.
goddess
One is in charge of everything now.
And you, you are also in charge as well.
All those big belt buckles have drifted off into infinity.
Or possibly they have evaporated and gone
to where all the good big belt buckles go.
Yo de la-i yo da la-i, yo da lay.
Oh and boo hoo boo hoo to them all.
We mean this, sincerely.


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