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.

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



1214

The Introduction of the Astrolabe in Navigation

What happened

In 1214, the astrolabe became increasingly utilized in navigation, particularly in maritime regions like the Mediterranean Sea. This ancient instrument allowed sailors to determine their latitude by measuring the angle of celestial bodies, significantly enhancing navigation accuracy. The astrolabe's role in exploration and trade contributed to the cultural exchanges that would later inspire poets and writers across Europe and the Islamic world.

Literary impact

The astrolabe's influence on navigation and exploration opened new horizons for poets, leading to themes of travel and discovery in their works. Poets like Ibn Arabi and later European writers would draw inspiration from the journeys made possible by such advancements, incorporating the vastness of the world and the mysteries of the cosmos into their poetry. This connection between exploration and literature enriched the poetic landscape.

Source: Wikipedia

Poets alive in 1214

1 poet

More events in 1214

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