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 30 May 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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3 birthdays · 3 death anniversaries · 6 world events on 30 May

Birthdays

Death anniversaries

World events on this day

  • 30 May 1431

    Trial of Joan of Arc

    In Rouen, France, Joan of Arc was tried by an ecclesiastical court on charges of heresy, cross-dressing, and witchcraft after being captured by Burgundian forces allied with the English. The trial was politically motivated and riddled with procedural irregularities, including the denial of counsel and interrogation behind closed doors. She was convicted and burned at the stake on May 30, 1431, at the age of nineteen.

    Event 1431

  • 30 May 1854

    Kansas-Nebraska Act

    Senator Stephen Douglas of Illinois designed the Kansas-Nebraska Act, which became law on May 30, 1854, repealing the Missouri Compromise's geographical boundaries. The act allowed settlers in the Kansas and Nebraska territories to decide through 'popular sovereignty' whether to permit slavery. This legislation reignited the sectional conflict over slavery's expansion and led to violent confrontations in Kansas, known as 'Bleeding Kansas.'

    Event 1854

  • 30 May 1539

    Hernando de Soto's Pigs in North America

    In 1539, Hernando de Soto landed in Florida with a herd of pigs, which would have a lasting impact on North America's agricultural landscape. The pigs he introduced became foundational to both feral and domestic pig populations across the continent. This event marked the beginning of significant ecological changes in North America, as the introduced species adapted and thrived, influencing local ecosystems and indigenous practices.

    Event 1539

  • 30 May 1619

    Foundation of Batavia

    In 1619, the Dutch founded Batavia, present-day Jakarta, as their administrative center in Asia. This strategic location became a key hub for Dutch colonial trade, facilitating the exchange of goods between Europe and the East Indies. The establishment of Batavia marked the beginning of significant Dutch influence in Southeast Asia, shaping regional trade dynamics and colonial policies that would last for centuries.

    Event 1619

  • 30 May 2020

    First Crewed Dragon Flight

    In 2020, SpaceX's Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission marked a historic milestone as it sent NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), representing the first commercial crewed flight in space. This mission not only demonstrated the capabilities of private spaceflight but also signified a new era of collaboration between government space agencies and commercial enterprises. The success of this flight has implications for the future of space exploration and the commercialization of space travel.

    Event 2020

  • 30 May 1982

    Spain Joins NATO

    In 1982, Spain joined NATO, marking a significant step in its post-dictatorship alignment with Western powers. This membership solidified Spain's commitment to collective defense and cooperation in the face of Cold War tensions. Spain's entry into NATO also represented a broader shift in European geopolitics, fostering stability and collaboration among member nations.

    Event 1982
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