A quiet notice V2Melody closes at midnight on , Spanish time.

Closes

A note from Richard

V2Melody will close at midnight on 20 January 2028

This site has been a retirement project in musical poetry: poems chosen with care and set to music, offered freely for as long as it felt right to keep the garden open.

The work no longer holds the place it once did in my life. I have gone as far with it as I wish to go. Like a sand mandala, it was made to be completed and then released. I am not attached to its permanence, and I do not believe any of it needs to last beyond the time it was given. The poems were already here before I arrived and began to experiment with them. They will still be here when these musical experiments, and indeed myself, have been swept away, like the sand of a mandala. Nothing has been lost.

I want a simpler end to my life, days of simple love and enjoyment with my wonderful wife of 20 years. The work of maintaining a server, the monitoring, and the residual obligations that come with keeping a site alive no longer fit that life.

From 4 November 2026 I will not be adding new poems or musical poems to the site.

The experimental music I am making now is on my Suno profile. Those pieces stay there, and are not added to this site.

Until midnight on 20 January 2028, Spanish time, everything remains available exactly as it is. That is when my VPS server contract comes to an end, and it will not be renewed. After that, the server will be switched off and the site will disappear.

The Mandala Is Finished explains this more fully.

Thank you to anyone who found a poem, a track, or a quiet moment here.

The pleasure was in the making.

Richard

Home › Glossary › Letter S

Shep

Dialect
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

"Shep" is a Dialect term used to refer to a pet dog, often implying a sense of familiarity and affection.

Detailed Definition
In the context of Dialect, "Shep" is a colloquial term that typically denotes a dog, particularly in rural or working-class communities. The usage of "Shep" in Thomas MacDonagh's poem "John-John" reflects the intimate and everyday life of the speaker, highlighting the presence of a pet in their domestic space. The mention of putting out "Shep" suggests a routine and a sense of care, which contrasts with the more complex emotional landscape surrounding the departure of the speaker's husband.
Example
Example in poetry:
In the poem "John-John," the line "to watch the fire and hear me lock the door and put out Shep" illustrates the domestic scene where the speaker is reflecting on the responsibilities and routines of home life, including caring for a pet.
Additional Notes
The term "Shep" is often associated with shepherd dogs, but in Dialect usage, it has evolved to become a more general term for any dog. This reflects the speaker's familiarity with their environment and the personal connection to their pet. The use of Dialect terms like "Shep" can enhance the authenticity of a character's voice and provide cultural context. Similar terms might include "pup" or "hound," but "Shep" carries a specific regional flavor that enriches the poem's setting.
Also Known As
Shepherd Sheepdog Herder
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