Nuts in May

"I'm tired of high policy talks. 

I want to focus on nuts and bolts."

Dave Freudenthal 

Edward Ka-Spel - Nuts in May

Well not the nuts of the old nursery rhyme, but rather nuts that go with bolts. Currently, Gersthof where I live, is going through a massive tram line maintenance process. Believe it or not, and this is not very girly, I am finding it fascinating. Whenever I pass the works with my camera, I take the time gathering some photographs.  

I have been experimenting with some rather arty shots, “gathering” these arty ones of nuts with their bolts. Not something that would be usually classed as beautiful, I found these ones strangely attractive in their collected form. All thrown together in a box, waiting to be used or recycled back into the track work, where they would then perform their designated function. 

Then there was the little group, in the last shot, thrown haphazardly on the pedestrian strip. I am not sure whether they were to be discarded or would be reused, as they looked older and more worn, than the ones in the box. These also appeared strangely attractive, mixed in with rusted bolts, other metal and that fragment of blue card, which displayed the fragile, please don’t get wet symbols. Even the most mundane of items are, I am finding, are quite photogenic.  

Not to leave out the old nursery rhyme, “Nuts in May”, I asked a poet friend, David Watkins, to read and record it, for this post. David is also known as Sabreman Carter from the virtual world of Second Life, where he reads poetry and hosts poetry events. David also has his own YouTube channel, where you can catch him reading more poetry.

Nuts in May

Here we go gathering nuts in May,

Nuts in May, nuts in May,

Here we go gathering nuts in May,

On a cold and frosty morning.

Who will you have for nuts in May,

Nuts in May, nuts in May,

Who will you have for nuts in May,

On a cold and frosty morning.

We'll have June for nuts in May,

Nuts in May, nuts in May,

We'll have June for nuts in May,

On a cold and frosty morning.

Who will you have to fetch him/her away,

Fetch him/her away, fetch him/her away,

Who will you have to fetch him/her away,

On a cold and frosty morning.

We'll have Jim to fetch him/her away,

Fetch him/her away, fetch him/her away,

We'll have Jim to fetch him/her away,

On a cold and frosty morning.

read by David Watkins 

"I was prepared for the theatre, 
but not for the nuts and bolts."

Matthew Ashford