Tristan, 19
A Poem by Vance Hatton


I told Sophia that I was going to stay
single, that men aren't worth it, except for a few.
It took five whole
hours for me to betray that idea
and sign up to Hinge and Bumble
and Tinder, just for good measure, although
apparently Tinder, or I, can't count,
because it thinks that I'm
18
which, no matter how you calculate it
is wrong.
Choosing 6 pictures is harder than you think.
Do I want to use pictures with
glasses
makeup
brown hair
blue hair
other people?
Choosing 6 pictures shouldn't make me think;
do I want to choose pictures with
glasses
makeup
brown hair
blue hair
other people
because I think they're what someone
else is looking for?
I don't want someone who's looking for
glasses or blue hair, I want someone who
looks at the picture and sees me there.
But, I do want to give myself a good chance,
because only a few men are worth it,
and I want to find them, be held by them,
be loved by them. To Coda
So I ask my ex
which pictures she'd suggest.
Apparently she can't count either,
because instead of 6 she sent me
8.
Then you have to choose the prompts,
and that's even harder because there are so
so
so many
and I'm an indecisive bisexual.
In the end, I made them about
jellyfish
straight men
Italy
not sleeping
quoting everything
and Morocco, which it turns out
is not Monaco.
And then I swiped left a bunch.
And then I swiped right a few times.
And then I swiped left a bunch.
And then I swiped right on Tristan.
SHIT
FUCK
NO
I swiped left by accident,
and he was really cute,
so it’s back to the drawing board.
Delete Bumble account.
Please select a reason for deleting your account.
Found/In a Relationship
Ha, I wish.
Billing Issue
What, you think I’ve got the money to pay for this?
Dissatisfied with Service
Nope, just with myself.
Other
I ACCIDENTALLY SWIPED THE WRONG WAY
ON A REALLY CUTE GUY.
INSERT CRYING EMOJI.
D.S. al Coda.
Coda
Round 2, bitch!
Left.
Left.
This man is literally over twice my age,
or depending how you calculate it,
over 5 times my age. Left.
Left.
Right.
Left.
Left.
Left.
Left.
Left.
Left.
TRISTAN.
48 hours later, I’m planning a date
with Daniel. He has
glasses
an earring
red and black clothes
brown hair
that sweeps over his face in a really cute way.
Who’s Tristan?
A Statement by Vance Hatton on her process
This poem, Tristan, 19, marries poetic form with elements of sheet music notation to enable its dynamic movement back and forth across the page. Just as a piece of music dominates a space before vanishing completely into silence, so too does the poem seek to capture the ephemeral nature of dating apps and many of the connections formed on them. Over a year after writing it, I’ve been in and out of two relationships and no longer have any idea who any of the people mentioned in this poem are – other than my dear friend Sophia, whose poem in this edition you should go and read now if you haven’t already!
About Vance
BoundBy Web Designer, Copywriter and Editor
I’m BoundBy’s web designer, as well as an editor for the magazine. My poetry encompasses both a variety of forms and free verse, with a focus on adaptations and intersections between mediums. My undergraduate dissertation comprised of a poetry-infused videogame, the demo for which is available online at https://vancehatton.itch.io/a-drakes-poetry-publishing-house. I am currently studying my MA in Writing at the University of Warwick and working towards publishing my first full-length poetry collection. While firmly anti-poetry before my time at university, I have since fallen in love with the art and plan to continue my journey with the form when I move to Italy next summer!
