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


1550

Technology Economy

Introduction of the Flyboat for Fast Trade

What happened

The introduction of the flyboat in 1550 revolutionized merchant shipping in Europe by providing a fast and light vessel for trade. Developed by the Dutch, the flyboat's design allowed for greater maneuverability and efficiency in transporting goods across waterways. This innovation facilitated the growth of trade networks and contributed to the economic expansion of the Dutch Republic during the Age of Exploration.

Literary impact

The introduction of the flyboat for fast trade around 1550 supported the flourishing Dutch Golden Age, inspiring maritime themes in literature. Poets like Joost van den Vondel celebrated the impact of trade on national identity, weaving narratives that highlighted the interconnectedness of commerce and culture.

Source: Wikipedia

Poets alive in 1550

18 poets

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