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 5 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 · 2 death anniversaries · 7 world events on 5 December

Birthdays

Death anniversaries

World events on this day

  • 5 December 1057

    Battle of Dunsinane

    The Battle of Dunsinane, fought in 1057, was a pivotal conflict in the struggle for the Scottish throne between Malcolm Canmore and the forces loyal to Macbeth. This battle, occurring in the vicinity of Dunsinane Hill, was significant in shaping Scottish history and folklore, marking the transition from Macbeth's rule to Malcolm's ascension. The legends surrounding this battle have permeated Scottish culture and literature.

    Event 1057

  • 5 December 1033

    The Great Earthquake of 1033 in the Jordan Valley

    On December 5, 1033 CE, a devastating earthquake struck the Jordan Valley in the Levant, causing widespread destruction across Palestine and Syria. The quake was one of the most powerful in the region's history and is recorded in both Arabic and Hebrew sources. It had a profound impact on the local population and led to a significant loss of life, contributing to a period of instability in the region.

    Event 1033

  • 5 December 1456

    The 1456 Central Italy Earthquakes

    On December 5, 1456 CE, a powerful earthquake, estimated at magnitude 7.2, struck the Province of Benevento in the Kingdom of Naples (modern-day Italy). This was the largest and most widespread earthquake on the Italian Peninsula, and it was followed by another major shock on December 30. The quake killed an estimated 30,000 to 70,000 people.

    Event 1456

  • 5 December 1872

    Mystery of the Mary Celeste

    The mystery of the Mary Celeste, a merchant ship found adrift in the Atlantic Ocean in 1872 with its crew missing but cargo intact, has captivated historians and enthusiasts alike. Various theories have been proposed, including piracy, mutiny, or natural disaster, but the true fate of the crew remains unsolved. This enduring enigma has fueled maritime lore and continues to intrigue researchers, symbolizing the mysteries of the sea and human vulnerability in the face of the unknown.

    Event 1872

  • 5 December 1934

    Turkish Women's Legal Equality Reforms

    In 1934, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk implemented significant legal reforms in Turkey, granting women equal rights in marriage and inheritance. This was part of a broader series of secular and progressive reforms aimed at modernizing Turkey and promoting gender equality. These changes not only transformed the status of women in Turkish society but also served as a model for other nations seeking to improve women's rights in the early 20th century.

    Event 1934

  • 5 December 2006

    New York City bans artificial trans fats in restaurants

    On December 5, 2006, the New York City Board of Health voted to ban artificial trans fats from all restaurant food served in New York City, making it the first major American city to prohibit the use of partially hydrogenated oils that had been a staple of fast food frying and commercial baking since the mid-twentieth century. The ban, championed by Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden, required restaurants to eliminate trans fats over an 18-month phase-in period, affecting an estimated 24,000 food establishments. The New York trans fat ban demonstrated that local governments could regulate junk food ingredients directly, inspiring similar measures in other cities and states and signaling a new era of proactive public health regulation of the food supply.

    Event 2006

  • 5 December 2010

    4G Mobile Networks Rollout

    The rollout of 4G mobile networks in 2010 represented a significant leap in mobile telecommunications technology. Major carriers began deploying 4G LTE networks, which provided faster data speeds and improved connectivity for mobile devices. This advancement enabled a wide range of applications, from streaming services to mobile gaming, fundamentally changing how people access information and communicate. The introduction of 4G was crucial in shaping the modern mobile landscape.

    Event 2010
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