Twenty-One Days of Tinder
Free Unconventional Poetry Book exploring using Dating Apps when having disability
By Emma Astra AKA The Disabled PhD Student
20.12.2023
Disabled December Dating Diary is part of my Disabled Dating Diary series.
Online dating world when disabled using a dating app. This book is a re-take of the famous 12 Days of Christmas carol. A verse a day for 21 days during December 2022.
About the author:
Emma Astra, AKA The Disabled PhD Student, is undertaking PhD research ‘’The Diary of a Disabled PhD Student: Exploring the impact of showing the lived experience of chronic illness and disability using digital media and journalism.’’. Her full work-in-progress research project can be found here: www.linktr.ee/disabledphdstudent.
Emma Astra describes her disabilities and PhD as a ‘Snapshot-In Time through an accidental Pilgrimage’ as a metaphoric comparison. She has also coincidentally visited many pilgrimage sights by accident, which she will hopefully write about one day.
She likes people who ‘Succeed through adversity and diversity.’
About this Poetry book:
As Lord Bryon (1823) and Mark Twain (1897) said, truth is stranger than fiction.
This poetry book is an insight into the online dating world when disabled. A re-take of the famous 12 Days of Christmas Carol, using poetry and humour to explore the difficulties of dating when disabled. A line a day built up over 21 days during December 2022 based on real-life messages received from Dating App matches.
Forms part of PhD research exploring the impact of showing the lived experience of disability and chronic illness. This has an unconventional and visual poetry form.
Acknowledgement:
Thanks to Substack Platform where this is published free to access.
Photos credited to Adobe and Google.
Dedication:
To all the chronic health and disability warriors and to those who want to gain insight into the disabled online dating experience.
Disclaimer
This book goes against all poetry conventions, traditions and structures!
Disabled December Dating Diary is part of my Disabled Dating Diary series.
Visual Index:
Day One (Page 5)
On the first day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me
A gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Two (Page 5)
On the second day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’
And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Three (Page 5)
On the third day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me
A message with a wave emoji
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Four (Page 6)
On the fourth day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me
‘I’ve never shagged a disabled lady’A message with a wave emoji
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’
And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Five (Page 6)
On the fifth day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me
Ghosted when knows my disability
‘I’ve never shagged a disabled lady’A message with a wave emoji
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’
And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Six (Page 7)
On the sixth day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me
‘Oh you’re disabled adios’Ghosted when he knows my disability
‘I’ve never shagged a disabled lady’
A message with a wave emoji
‘Do you still have sex when having a disability?’
And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Seven (Page 7)
On the seventh day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me
Catfish wants to give me an investment opportunity
‘Oh you’re disabled adios’Ghosted when he knows my disability
‘I’ve never shagged a disabled lady’
A message with a wave emoji
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’
And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Eight (Page 8)
On the eighth day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me
‘Will you ever be cured with your body?’Catfish wants to give me an investment opportunity
‘Oh you’re disabled adios’Ghosted when he knows my disability
‘I’ve never shagged a disabled lady’
A message with a wave emoji
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’
And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Nine (Page 8)
On the ninth day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me
Single dad of eight found me complicating‘Will you ever be cured with your body?’
Catfish wants to give me an investment opportunity
‘Oh you’re disabled adios’Ghosted when he knows my disability
‘I’ve never shagged a disabled lady’
A message with a wave emoji
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’
And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Ten (Page 9)
On the tenth day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me
‘Come see me in America to party’
Single dad of eight found me complicating‘Will you ever be cured with your body?’
Catfish wants to give me an investment opportunity
‘Oh you’re disabled adios’Ghosted when he knows my disability
‘I’ve never shagged a disabled lady’
A message with a wave emoji
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’
And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Eleven (Page 10)
On the eleventh day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me
He dumps me for an able beauty
‘Come see me in America to party’
A single dad of eight found me complicating‘Will you ever be cured with your body?’
Catfish wants to give me an investment opportunity
‘Oh you’re disabled adios’Ghosted when he knows my disability
‘I’ve never shagged a disabled lady’
A message with a wave emoji
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’
And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Twelve (Page 11)
On the twelfth day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me‘Too much baggage you have a disability’
He dumps me for an able beauty
‘Come see me in America to party’
A single dad of eight found me complicating‘Will you ever be cured with your body?’
Catfish wants to give me an investment opportunity
‘Oh you’re disabled adios’Ghosted when he knows my disability
‘I’ve never shagged a disabled lady’
A message with a wave emoji
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’
And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Thirteen (Page 12)
On the thirteenth day of ChristmasMy Tinder love sent to me
He looks like a horror film with no white teeth shining
‘Too much baggage you have a disability’
He dumps me for an able beauty
‘Come see me in America to party’
A single dad of eight found me complicating‘Will you ever be cured with your body?’
Catfish wants to give me an investment opportunity
‘Oh you’re disabled adios’Ghosted when he knows my disability
‘I’ve never shagged a disabled lady’
A message with a wave emoji
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’
And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Fourteen (Page 13)
On the fourteenth day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me
‘I’ve seen people like you in the Paralympics on TV’
He looks like a horror film with no white teeth shining‘Too much baggage you have a disability’
He dumps me for an able beauty
‘Come see me in America to party’
A single dad of eight found me complicating‘Will you ever be cured with your body?’
Catfish wants to give me an investment opportunity
‘Oh you’re disabled adios’Ghosted when he knows my disability
‘I’ve never shagged a disabled lady’
A message with a wave emoji
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’
And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Fifteen (Page 14)
On the fifteenth day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me
Thinks I’m a disabled soap star look-alikey
‘I’ve seen people like you in the Paralympics on TV’
He looks like a horror film with no white teeth shining‘Too much baggage you have a disability’
He dumps me for an able beauty
‘Come see me in America to party’
A single dad of eight found me complicating‘Will you ever be cured with your body?’
Catfish wants to give me an investment opportunity
‘Oh you’re disabled adios’Ghosted when he knows my disability
‘I’ve never shagged a disabled lady’
A message with a wave emoji
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’
And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Sixteen (Page 15)
On the sixteenth day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me
‘Do you want to go hill walking?’
Thinks I’m a disabled soap star look-alikey
‘I’ve seen people like you in the Paralympics on TV’
He looks like a horror film with no white teeth shining‘Too much baggage you have a disability’
He dumps me for an able beauty
‘Come see me in America to party’
A single dad of eight found me complicating‘Will you ever be cured with your body?’
Catfish wants to give me an investment opportunity
‘Oh you’re disabled adios’Ghosted when he knows my disability
‘I’ve never shagged a disabled lady’
A message with a wave emoji
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’
And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Seventeen (Page 16)
On the seventeenth day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to meMr Walkies goes on a hike sulking
‘Do you want to go hill walking’
Thinks I’m a disabled soap star look-alikey
‘I’ve seen people like you in the Paralympics on TV’
He looks like a horror film with no white teeth shining‘Too much baggage you have a disability’
He dumps me for an able beauty
‘Come see me in America to party’
A single dad of eight found me complicating‘Will you ever be cured with your body?’
Catfish wants to give me an investment opportunity
‘Oh you’re disabled adios’Ghosted when he knows my disability
‘I’ve never shagged a disabled lady’
A message with a wave emoji
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’
And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Eighteen (Page 17)
On the eighteenth day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me
‘’My friend also has IBS’’ but its IBD
Mr Walkies goes on a hike sulking
‘Do you want to go hill walking?’
Thinks I’m a disabled soap star look-alikey
‘I’ve seen people like you in the Paralympics on TV’
He looks like a horror film with no white teeth shining‘Too much baggage you have a disability’
He dumps me for an able beauty
‘Come see me in America to party’
A single dad of eight finds me complicating‘Will you ever be cured with your body?’
Catfish wants to give me an investment opportunity
‘Oh you’re disabled adios’Ghosted when he knows my disability
‘I’ve never shagged a disabled lady’
A message with a wave emoji
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’
And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Nineteen (Page 18)
On the Nineteenth day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me
Advises me to try detox juicing
‘’My friend also has IBS’’ but its IBD
Mr Walkies goes on a hike sulking
‘Do you want to go hill walking?’
Thinks I’m a disabled soap star look-alikey
‘I’ve seen people like you in the Paralympics on TV’
Looks like a horror film with no white teeth shining‘Too much baggage you have a disability’
He dumps me for an able beauty
‘Come see me in America to party’
A single dad of eight found me complicating‘Will you ever be cured with your body?’
Catfish wants to give me an investment opportunity
‘Oh you’re disabled adios’Ghosted when he knows my disability
‘I’ve never shagged a disabled lady’
A message with a wave emoji
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’
And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Twenty (Page 19)
On the twentieth day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me
‘I swiped right as I must start compromising’
Advises me to try detox juicing
‘’My friend also has IBS’’ but its IBD
Mr Walkies goes on a hike sulking
‘Do you want to go hill walking?’
Thinks I’m a disabled soap star look-alikey
‘I’ve seen people like you in the Paralympics on TV’
Looks like a horror film with no white teeth shining‘Too much baggage you have a disability’
He dumps me for an able beauty
‘Come see me in America to party’
A single dad of eight found me complicating‘Will you ever be cured with your body?’
Catfish wants to give me an investment opportunity
‘Oh you’re disabled adios’Ghosted when he knows my disability
‘I’ve never shagged a disabled lady’
A message with a wave emoji
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’
And a gold heart with a dagger emoji
Day Twenty-One (Page 20)
On the Twenty-First day of Christmas
My Tinder love sent to me
Off to a disabled dating app as we are segregating
‘I swiped right as I must start compromising’
Advises me to try detox juicing
‘’My friend also has IBS’’ but its IBD
Mr Walkies goes on a hike sulking
‘Do you want to go hill walking?’
Thinks I’m a disabled soap star look-alikey
‘I’ve seen people like you in the Paralympics on TV’
Looks like a horror film with no white teeth shining‘Too much baggage you have a disability’
Dumps me for an able beauty
‘Come see me in America to party’
A single dad of eight found me complicating‘Will you ever be cured with your body?’
Catfish wants to give me an investment opportunity
‘Oh you’re disabled adios’Ghosted when he knows my disability
‘I’ve never shagged a disabled lady’
A message with a wave emoji
‘Can you still have sex when having a disability?’
I gave up on the pure red heart emoji
The End. Or to be continued!
Thanks for taking a ride with this unconventional autoethnography poetry book about using dating apps when disabled. Autoethnography means a research method used to explore the lived experience of the writer within a wider social issue. Like and follow if you want more!
My work-in-progress PhD research website can be found here www.linktr.ee/disabledphdstudent
🙂