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


On 17 September in poetry and history

Poets born or who died on this date, plus historical events that happened on this day across history.

610 poets with calendar dates · 6,535 events with calendar dates in the catalogue

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1 birthday · 4 death anniversaries · 6 world events on 17 September

Birthdays

Death anniversaries

World events on this day

  • 17 September 1862

    Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg)

    On September 17, 1862, Union and Confederate armies fought near Sharpsburg, Maryland, along Antietam Creek, in the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, with over 23,000 casualties. The tactical draw was a strategic Union victory that halted Lee's invasion of the North and gave Lincoln the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. The battle was a turning point in the war, shifting its focus from union to emancipation.

    Event 1862

  • 17 September 1874

    Hardy Marries Emma Gifford in London

    Thomas Hardy married Emma Lavinia Gifford on September 17, 1874, in London. Their union marked the beginning of a partnership that would deeply influence Hardy's literary output, as Emma became both a muse and a critical reader of his work. The couple initially rented a house in Surbiton before moving to Paddington, where their domestic life provided a backdrop for Hardy's evolving literary themes and exploration of human relationships.

    Event 1874

  • 17 September 1176

    The Decisive Battle of Myriokephalon and the Decline of Byzantine Power

    The Byzantine army under Emperor Manuel I Komnenos suffered a crushing defeat in a narrow mountain pass at the hands of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm led by Kilij Arslan II. The ambush completely destroyed Manuel's heavy siege weaponry and broke his psychological ambition to reclaim central Anatolia for Christendom. This critical battle marked the permanent end of Byzantine offensive expansion in the East, sealing Christian Anatolia's transition into a predominantly Turkish and Islamic territory.

    Event 1176

  • 17 September 1838

    London and Birmingham Railway Opens

    The London and Birmingham Railway opened in 1838, marking the first intercity railway line into London and heralding a new era of steam railway expansion. This railway significantly improved transportation efficiency and connectivity between major cities, facilitating trade and travel. The success of this line set a precedent for future railway projects, transforming the economic landscape of Britain and contributing to the Industrial Revolution.

    Event 1838

  • 17 September 1954

    William Golding's Lord of the Flies Uses Insects as Metaphors for Human Savagery

    William Golding's debut novel Lord of the Flies (1954) takes its title from Beelzebub — a translation of the Hebrew Ba'al Zebub, 'Lord of the Flies' — and uses the fly and the pig's head covered with flies as its central symbol of evil, savagery, and moral dissolution. The flies that swarm over the pig's skull on the island represent the attraction of the boys to violence and the collapse of civilisation. Golding's deployment of flies and insects as signifiers of the demonic connects his work to a literary tradition extending from the Bible through Dante and Shakespeare.

    Event 1954

  • 17 September 1960

    First Paralympic Games

    The first official Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960, coinciding with the Summer Olympics, marking a significant milestone in the history of sports for athletes with disabilities. This event showcased the talents and determination of athletes, challenging societal perceptions of disability. The Paralympics have since grown into a major international sporting event, promoting inclusivity and inspiring future generations.

    Event 1960
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