A Turn of the Nut

Night settled into the corner of the room. Near the base of a heavy brass floor lamp, I spotted a loose brass hex nut resting against the felt pad. Its threads were intact, clear of lint. Bracing my boots against the grooved lamp collar, I rolled the nut upward using the palms of my hands, aligning it carefully against an exposed bolt protruding from the fixture foot. It caught on the first pitch. With three deliberate quarter-turns, the fastener seated flush against the metal plate, locking out any remaining wobble. Solid footing restored for the evening.