Sometimes: A Poem Arrives
Poetry at Unexpected Moments
228 followers
Poetry at Unexpected Moments
228 followers
The best things arrive when you're not looking. Discover poetry that matches your moment, when you least expect it. The app considers time of day, weather, and season. A poetry app for iOS.
Sometimes: A Poem Arrives
Hi Product Hunt 👋
The idea is simple: Poetry shouldn't live in a feed. It should find you. In a quiet moment. A rainy afternoon. The first light of morning.
"Sometimes:" sends you one poem at unexpected times, you never know exactly when. No infinite scroll. No engagement metrics. No accounts. Just: open, read, close.
How it works:
Set your time window (morning? evening? all day?)
Choose your pace (daily, weekly, or anywhere in between)
Then forget about it
The app watches the weather, time, and season. When conditions align, a poem arrives. All from the public domain. Dickinson, Frost, Whitman, Poe, Keats, Yeats.
Why I built this: Technology should enrich moments, not steal them. "Sometimes:" is my answer to the attention economy. It's designed to be closed, not to trap you.
It's free. If a poem arrives at the right moment, tips are welcome.
I'd love to hear what you think. What would make this meaningful for you?
Thanks for being here on launch day.
@oddyb This is really interesting, you should look at something like a fortune cookie. predictions or something. I think people would love someone, or something to tell them, "your life is just starting, the end is only the beginning of your new venture" or something positive like that.. but I love this.
Very cool. Is there a widget?
Sometimes: A Poem Arrives
@henno_fourie Yes! There's a home screen widget that shows the last poem. It updates when a new one arrives. I've also refined the widgets further in v1.1, which will be released this week.
What made you choose unpredictability over scheduled delivery? I imagine some users might find comfort in routine, others in surprise, curious how you thought about that tradeoff.
Sometimes: A Poem Arrives
@lindabency Thoughtful question. Routine felt like homework. I wanted the poem to catch you off guard, like running into an old friend. The surprise is part of what makes it land, please share your experiences with the surprise factor of the app, I'd appreciate any feedback honestly. That said, you still control the frequency and time window, so it's unpredictable within boundaries you set.
Congrats on the launch! Love how Sometimes weaves time, weather, and season into context-aware poetry moments—such a thoughtful, ambient way to bring verse into everyday life.
Sometimes: A Poem Arrives
@zeiki_yu Thank you! That's exactly what I was hoping for. Poetry as something ambient, not demanding.
I've been wandering into r/Poetry on Reddit for a long time, so this app arrives as a welcome relief. :)
A few technical inquiries: what is the provenance of your poetry database? Furthermore, in instances where multiple translations exist, does the system possess the nuance to recognise these variations and avoid redundant pushes?
Sometimes: A Poem Arrives
@sphnsx I've been wandering there too! Great questions. The collection is curated from public domain sources, poems pre-1928 or by authors who died before 1955. I verified them myself, and I'm expanding the collection with each update. I do include translations, but only when I can find a definitive "best" version. If there's no clear winner, I skip it. Each poem only arrives once, no repeats. Would love to hear your thoughts if you give it a try, especially as someone from r/Poetry.
Poetry is an aesthetic in its own right—is the app’s interface and push card design minimalistic and poetic enough that every time you open it, it feels like unfolding an exquisitely crafted letter?
Sometimes: A Poem Arrives
@qwang_dazee That was the goal. Something that feels more like a letter than an app. Minimal interface, generous whitespace, the poem as the only focus. Have you had a chance to try it? I'd love to know if the experience matches what you're imagining.
Really liked the quick and easy onboarding flow. Also curious to know if Haikus are included.
Sometimes: A Poem Arrives
@mustassim Thank you! Yes, they are included! You just don't know when they will arrive.