50.2 Feature: “Custodians” by 2023 Poetry Contest Winner, Rick Hilles

Rick Hilles, a recipient of the Amy Lowell Traveling Poetry Scholarship, a Fulbright, and a Whiting Writers Award, is the author of BROTHER SALVAGE and A MAP OF THE LOST WORLD. This prizewinning poem comes from a new collection (that’s still seeking a home) called A CUSTODIAN OF SHADOWS. He is an associate professor of English and teaches in the MFA Program at Vanderbilt University.

Photo by Pattie Traynor.

Click on the excerpt below to read the rest of “Custodians,” written by Rick Hilles, our 2023 Poetry Contest Winner!

To read Rick Hilles’ work & our other 2023 contest winners, head to our online store and grab yourself a copy of issue 50.2.