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



1985

Event dated January 1985

Hip-Hop Culture Embraces Oversized Sunglasses

What happened

By 1985, oversized sunglasses had become a prominent feature of hip-hop culture, embraced by rappers and artists as a bold fashion statement. This trend reflected the growing influence of hip-hop on mainstream culture and the desire for self-expression through unique styles. The adoption of oversized sunglasses became synonymous with street fashion, contributing to the visual identity of the genre. This cultural shift highlighted the intersection of music, fashion, and identity in urban communities.

Literary impact

The embrace of oversized sunglasses in hip-hop culture during 1985 influenced spoken word and hip-hop poetry. Themes of visibility and defiance emerged, with poets using this imagery to explore identity and self-expression in urban contexts. This cultural shift allowed poets to challenge societal norms, reflecting the broader narrative of empowerment and authenticity within the hip-hop movement.

Source: Wikipedia

Poets alive in 1985

4 poets

More events in 1985

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