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 2 December 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 · 3 death anniversaries · 7 world events on 2 December

Birthdays

Death anniversaries

World events on this day

  • 2 December 1805

    Battle of Austerlitz

    In 1805, Napoleon Bonaparte achieved a decisive victory at the Battle of Austerlitz, often referred to as the Battle of the Three Emperors, where French forces faced off against Austrian and Russian troops. This battle is considered one of Napoleon's greatest tactical triumphs, solidifying his reputation as a military genius. The outcome significantly altered the balance of power in Europe, leading to the dissolution of the Third Coalition against France.

    Event 1805

  • 2 December 1859

    Trial of John Brown

    In Charles Town, Virginia, abolitionist John Brown was tried for treason, murder, and inciting a slave insurrection after his raid on the federal armory at Harpers Ferry. Brown conducted his own defense with remarkable eloquence, using the trial as a platform to condemn slavery rather than to seek acquittal. He was convicted and hanged on December 2, 1859, becoming a martyr figure who intensified the sectional conflict leading to the Civil War.

    Event 1859

  • 2 December 1703

    The Great Earthquake of Kanto during the Edo Period

    In 1703, the Great Earthquake of Kanto occurred during the Edo period, causing widespread destruction through a violent tsunami and fire that devastated coastal settlements. This catastrophic event highlighted the vulnerability of urban areas to natural disasters and prompted changes in disaster preparedness and response. The earthquake's impact on the Kanto region had lasting effects on Japanese society and urban planning.

    Event 1703

  • 2 December 1902

    Pan-American Sanitary Bureau Founded

    Founded in 1902, the Pan-American Sanitary Bureau aimed to coordinate health initiatives across the Americas, addressing public health challenges in the region. This organization later evolved into the Pan American Health Organization, playing a crucial role in improving health standards and combating diseases. Its establishment marked a significant step towards international cooperation in health and set the groundwork for future public health policies in the Americas.

    Event 1902

  • 2 December 1942

    First Nuclear Reactor (Chicago Pile-1)

    On 2 December 1942, physicist Enrico Fermi and his team at the University of Chicago achieved the world's first controlled, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction using Chicago Pile-1, an experimental reactor constructed under the stands of Stagg Field. Built as part of the secretive Manhattan Project during World War II, the graphite-uranium pile demonstrated the feasibility of nuclear fission for energy and weapons. This breakthrough laid the foundation for nuclear power and atomic bombs, fundamentally transforming science, technology, geopolitics, and global energy prospects in the atomic age.

    Event 1942

  • 2 December 2001

    The Enron Corporate Accounting Scandal

    In 2001, the Enron Corporation collapsed into bankruptcy after the exposure of systemic accounting fraud, erasing billions in shareholder wealth and employee pensions. This scandal revealed significant flaws in corporate governance and accounting practices, leading to widespread regulatory reforms, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The Enron scandal serves as a cautionary tale about corporate ethics and the importance of transparency in business.

    Event 2001

  • 2 December 1893

    Birth of Daughter Josephine

    On December 2, 1893, Rudyard Kipling and Caroline welcomed their first child, Josephine, in London, England. The arrival of their daughter brought joy and inspiration to Kipling's life, and he often wrote about family and childhood in his works.

    Event 1893
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