Frank Ocean shares new poem “Boyfriend”

Image of black text in a black Courier font on white paper.

Excerpt of “Boyfriend,” Boys Don’t Cry, p. 351.

In his new magazine, Boys Don’t Cry, Frank Ocean published a poem titled “Boyfriend.” The work consists of seven free-flowing stanzas, transcribed below.

Transcript:

my boyfriend drives a lil bucket
when it rain it fills up with rain
my boyfriend he gon pick me up
don’t distract him at the wheel
in his lane
he’s the only one

my boyfriend he misses me when i’m gone
so he don’t forget me
there’s a song he sings
calms his nerve, endings
my boyfriend is friendly
and we don’t want no problems

i could say that i’m happy
they let me and my boyfriend become married
i could say that i’m happy
but cross my heart i didn’t notice
hope to die no never, we voted
me and my boyfriend cast our ballot
every kiss reads like a poem
making wrongs right like a poem

i couldn’t say i dream of you
because my dreams are filled with no one
and all is lost
me and my boyfriend we found
we don’t hope for beyonds at all
me and my boyfriend spend time
and that’s all i’m holding on
this time

we got permission
nothing’s above condition
but this ain’t a thang
it’s a mission

can’t join the band so sing along
me and my boyfriend got it going on
sleep with fans and t-shirts on
asleep in vans your legs all strewn
across my lap
tan lines where your watch was strapped
you took off to make time

cut your hair
you left it so long
i love to stare
there’s nothing wrong
and if i die while i’m asleep
i pray to God my boyfriend
keeps my secret
peace

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