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.

The experimental music I am making now is on my Suno profile. Those pieces stay there, and are not added to this 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 4 October 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

Previous Today Next

1 birthday · 1 death anniversary · 8 world events on 4 October

Birthdays

Death anniversaries

World events on this day

  • 4 October 1892

    Valéry undergoes the Genoa crisis

    During a stormy night of 4–5 October 1892 in Genoa, Italy, where he was staying with relatives, Valéry experienced a profound personal and intellectual crisis. He resolved to reject what he regarded as the seductions of literature, love and imprecision. The episode became a decisive turning point in his inner life.

    Event 1892

  • 4 October 1957

    Sputnik 1 Launched into Orbit

    On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union successfully launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into Earth's orbit. This event shocked the Western world and ignited the Space Race, a key conflict of the Cold War. Sputnik's launch marked the beginning of the space age and had profound implications for science, technology, education, and geopolitics, especially in the United States.

    Event 1957

  • 4 October 1802

    William Wordsworth's Marriage to Mary Hutchinson

    In 1802, William Wordsworth married Mary Hutchinson, a childhood friend, in a ceremony held at St. Oswald's Church in Grasmere. Their marriage brought stability and joy to Wordsworth's life, and Mary became a significant influence on his poetry. The couple had five children together, and their family life often inspired Wordsworth's exploration of domestic themes in his work.

    Event 1802

  • 4 October 1957

    Launch of Sputnik 1

    The launch of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957, marked a monumental achievement in space exploration as it became the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth. This event not only initiated the space age but also intensified the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, leading to the space race. Sputnik's successful deployment demonstrated the Soviet Union's technological capabilities and prompted significant advancements in science and engineering worldwide.

    Event 1957

  • 4 October 1815

    Gioachino Rossini Appointed Director of Teatro San Carlo in Naples

    In the summer of 1815, Italian composer Gioachino Rossini moved to Naples to take up the position of musical and artistic director of the Teatro San Carlo, one of Italy's most prestigious opera houses. Rossini's first opera for the theater, *Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra*, premiered on October 4, 1815, to great acclaim. His appointment marked a turning point in his career, as he entered a period of prolific creativity that produced some of his most famous operas, including *The Barber of Seville*. Rossini's work at the Teatro San Carlo helped to establish Naples as a major center of operatic innovation.

    Event 1815

  • 4 October 2004

    SpaceShipOne Wins Ansari X Prize

    In 2004, SpaceShipOne made history by completing the first privately funded human spaceflights, winning the Ansari X Prize. This achievement marked a significant milestone in the commercialization of space travel, demonstrating that private enterprises could successfully engage in space exploration. The success of SpaceShipOne paved the way for future private space ventures and sparked public interest in space tourism and exploration.

    Event 2004

  • 4 October 1994

    The Great Earthquake of 1994 in the Kuril Islands

    On October 4, 1994 CE, a powerful earthquake, estimated at magnitude 8.0, struck the Kuril Islands, causing damage and a local tsunami. This event is one of the largest earthquakes in the region and is significant for its contribution to the understanding of subduction zone seismicity. The earthquake was a major event in the seismic history of the Pacific.

    Event 1994

  • 4 October 2011

    Siri Voice Assistant Introduction

    Apple Inc. introduced Siri voice-controlled assistant with iPhone 4S in Cupertino, California, United States, enabling natural language queries and task execution through speech. Using artificial intelligence and cloud computing, Siri interpreted spoken commands to perform searches, set reminders, send messages, and control device functions. Though limited in capability compared to later assistants, Siri normalized voice interaction with technology, paving the way for smart speakers and ambient computing interfaces throughout homes and vehicles.

    Event 2011
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