A collection of all the poetry in the fourth edition of “The Parlay” literary magazine, and a few extra “nuggets” that we just couldn’t fit into the PDF version of our magazine.
Poetry
Poetry from Eren Bussard
The Apple
I feel my uterus beating inside of me,
A constant reminder of my ebbing fertility–
Along with my dangerous ability to bring a soul into the world.
Eternal energy envelopes my womb,
Stuck Like a Maple
I miss you like clementines and sugar cubes,
You need me like espresso and sea salt.
What if I never went away,
And you never let me leave?
Memories melting from one hand to another,
From one heart to another,
Blending seamlessly into the quilts of our lives
What it means to yearn
Eren Bussard (they/them) is a student at Arizona State University. They are in the midst of finishing their coursework to obtain a bachelor’s degree in English. Eren has a deep passion for writing and is currently working on their first novel. In their downtime, they are usually found watching anime, hanging out with their friends, or working on new stories to write. This is their third time being on the staff for The Parlay, and they look forward to working on writing for future editions as well.
Author Bio
Golden Age
How would you track footprints
on concrete that melts snow or
gauge the innocence of female rats
fertile at two months old?
Doreen Beyer is retired after almost 25 years as a school nurse. She pursued poetry at midlife, to elevate to vertical, her otherwise straight-path linear. Her poems have been published in several journals and anthologies. Prone to wandering, she will follow the path of Pilgrims on her first Camino this year.
Author Bio
Repitition is the Enemy
Poetry from Doreen Beyer
Like a scene out of Hitchcock’s The Birds
FPVs sweep the sky
images of their thermite-reacting loads
lock into cell phone video frames
Wandering on Traintracks
I wander on these tracks, where few trees grow,
Their wood and steel, abandoned, stained yet strong
Where mighty trains once travelled long ago.
An Unturned Spoon
An unturned spoon, held in my hand and by my hip;
My eyes strain, staring into swirling spirals of creamy blackness,
milky fat, caffeinated water, syrupy honey; it draws me in
Poetry from Chad Eldridge
Chad J. Eldridge is an aspiring creative writer with a passion for the arts who seeks to explore questions about humanity from a variety of perspectives outside his own. Having a background in theatre, he has graduated from Folsom Lake College with associate degrees in English and Humanities and is currently pursuing his bachelor's degree in English at Sac State.
Author Bio:
Fire
Fire flickers, fire roars,
Golden light on painted shores.
A dance of heat, a bold embrace,
A rebel’s spark you can’t erase.
Prometheus, clever, sly,
Stole the flame from Zeus on high.
Poetry from Sheryl French
The Fortune Teller’s Secret
Step inside, the cards await,
What’s in store? Love or fate?
The velvet sky, the moon’s soft glow,
A whisper warns—do you want to know?
Cassandra knew, she saw it clear,
The fall of Troy, the grief, the fear.
Sacramento native Sheryl French is a contemporary artist with degrees in art and interior design. Formerly Artistic Director of Palmer Fine Art, she now works as an independent artist, exhibiting several times a month while advocating for arts education. Her work, shaped by decades of experience, exudes confidence, depth, and purpose. “Contemporary and abstract art disrupt perception,” Sheryl explains. “It creates paradoxes and visual conflicts absent in nature—art you can truly contemplate.” Recent accolades include selection for the 2025 Crocker-Kingsley Exhibition, an Honorable Mention at Bold Expressions 69th Open International Exhibit, and participation in the 57th National Mother Lode Art Exhibition
Author Bio
The Sunlit Plain
I
Earth
For what purpose was I, a low creature molded from ash and born into mud, cursed and bound to labor on this dark earth until my mortal end?
Poetry from John Helmar
John Helmar works as a manure salesman and brick loader at a Placerville, CA retail store. He is highly respected and regarded as an expert in his field by nobody. He balances these exalted achievements, however, by continuing his tenure as Poet Laureate of his own living room. He was elected to this honorable position in 2020 at the height of the Covid "epidemic" by a vote of 1 - his own. Bravo, John! Bravo!
Author Bio
Water Nymph
Poetry from Daniel James
Water has a memory
A medium of consciousness
Pulled into damp layers
Kaleidoscopes of time
That circle
Down
Daniel James (they/them) is currently at FLC as a returning student, having earned their BA in Creative Writing and MFA in Book Art from Mills College. They are a novelist by trade, with two titles published through Tapas Entertainment: Respectfully Yours, and How (Not) to Save the Multiverse. In their spare time, they enjoy rebinding books, printmaking, and letting their cat, Chidi, boss them around.
You can find more of their work on social media: @ dannysdaydreams (twitter/bluesky/tiktok) and @ dannys.daydreams (instagram/threads).
Author Bio
Reflection
On Grief
Survivor
1000 Years
The Curse of Magnus the Fairy
How in such short time could I express
The sorrowful tale of a fairy's cursedness
So that you read with eyes open wide
Let me caution you of what layeth inside
Poetry from Emily Johnson
Emily S. Johnson grew up in Rancho Cordova, California. She was always drawn to stories that take place in different cultures, worlds, and times, abundant in genres like fantasy, sci-fi, and historical fiction. She loves inventing strange new worlds to shine light on modern issues and the struggles of everyday life from different perspectives. She draws inspiration from her family life and her Christian upbringing in a traditional American household.
Author Bio
The Ecdysis
Am I not woman?
Or am I only a womb?
Only knowing peace once
laid to rest in a desolate tomb.
This is Alyssa Jules Lozano's second year submitting to The Parlay. A Folsom Lake College alumna, she believes that artists can mend the soul and comfort those who feel lost during current events. Alyssa Jules is currently a student attending Stephens College for her degree in Screenwriting for TV and Television.
Author Bio
Poetry from Alyssa Lozano
Reflection from the Icarian Sea
Starving for a gentle love.
My lips begging for the quickest taste.
Craving complete compassion
and tender hands to caress my waist.
Was I chasing the perfect ghost?
The Garden of Perfection
Poetry from Mason Mays
For Plato there existed
A world of perfect forms
The strongest tree
The most striking mountain
The flowers of true beauty
Author Bio
Mason Mays is a twenty-year-old aspiring English Professor and Writer. He was born in Sacramento, California and currently resides in Cameron Park, California, though he has plans to soon move out to Seattle, Washington with his girlfriend. Despite the fact that he has only been writing for about four years consistently, he has always had a deep love for storytelling and poetry. He is currently enrolled at Folsom Lake College and will be graduating by the end of Spring 2025.
Blown to Pieces
Part 1: The Heart
The crest of the El Dorado
With the big house
Copied, stacked high--
White and stuccoed, a new kind of antebellum
Kill the camper and sell his things
The Knot in My Stomach
Poetry from Ryan Murphy
The knot in my stomach
Stronger than the gordian mess of my intestines
Beautiful words like flowers
Wilted away; until only memories of them lie
Author Bio
Ryan Murphy (he/him) is a FLC student preparing for a dual major in both Music and Film. He is a musician and video editor, sharpening his trade as Ryan Black. Writing, researching and editing video essays; while also writing and producing his own music. In his down time Ryan enjoys playing guitar, playing strategy games, leading a Mutual Aid Club for his community and reading dense political and economic theory. This is Ryan’s first time on the staff of The Parlay he looks forward to adding to further editions of the parlay.
You can find his work on socials as Ryan Black and @Ryan Black Music.
Times Past
The hand moves with no malice
Time and her worries; how apathetic
She holds you in deathly comfort
Fingers through your gentle hair
Wishing Stars
Poetry from Julia Norris
I wish we were movie stars,
that we were lovers
in every franchise,
that we were always together
Life in This Little Universe (With You)
Damned From The Start
rotting trees
My Lover, The Ocean
Love my Lady
And of Course (What Else Could I Do)
Good Things
Author Bio
Julia Norris grew up in the El Dorado Hills area. She is a current student at UC Davis and enjoys writing in her free time. When she's not either writing or studying, she's usually reading and spending time at her local boba shop. She is inspired by everything around her and loves creating narratives out of nothing.
Aren’t I Lovely
Pinned Butterfly
Leaves
Prophecy
Poetry from Kelsey Puckett
Did she come to him in a dream?
Unconcealed prophetic decrees,
the high priestess of his sleight of hand.
Was she the
great blue heron,
Author Bio
Kelsey is a second year English creative writing graduate student at Sac State but fell in love with writing poetry while completing her English literature degree at the University of California, Davis. When she's not writing poetry, she enjoys reading fantasy novels, baking, and thrifting.
This poem was inspired (very loosely!) by "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor Coleridge.
Minotaur
A labyrinthine heart beat, night and day, a minotaur of old, a paradox of pride and shame.
A symbol of our darkest desires, forever attempting escape.
The Fates Indomitable Will
Poetry from Shelby Toth
In twilight's hollow, where the olives sway
A mortal's thread is spun, his fate sealed today
The Moirai's whispers weave a tapestry of pain
As hubris beckons, mortal hearts in vain
Author Bio
Shelby is a local gem rooted in El Dorado County. By day, she's a green-thumbed guru at the nursery, coaxing blooms from flowers. By night, she's a bookworm, poetry enthusiast and music lover. As a devoted mother and wife, Shelby's life is a beautiful blend of love, laughter, and literary pursuits. When she's not surrounded by plants, she's probably reading, jotting down her thoughts, getting lost in her favorite tunes or procrastinating
Poems By Eric Rickey
Icarus
Shoot for the moon and you'll end up in the stars.
Better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.
Then how could Icarus be happy with mediocrity?
Hour After Gold
The hour after gold.
Bass bouncing in my brain.
In the late February wind
Making my nose run cold.
The smell of pine on my fingertips,
Author Bio
Eric Rickey is an English major currently enrolled at Folsom Lake College. He has a passion for writing and often will find himself daydreaming about characters and stories he hasn’t even written yet. When he’s not writing you can often find him playing with his nieces and nephews, watching anime, or preparing for the next adventure for his DND campaign. He has had a blast working on this issue of “The Parlay” and looks forward to working on future editions.
Broken Jade
Poetry from Winifred Wang
There's a shape of a snowflake that l wanna show you but it melted the moment I held it in my hands.
It drips down to the beginning of that summer.
The summer when you promised me the world.
The world which we look forward to in the winter.
Author Bio
Winifred Dongyi Wang (b.2002) is a freelance bilingual writer based in Brooklyn, New York. Born and raised in Beijing, China, she earned her BA in History (Magna Cum Laude) in 2023 from New York University and her MA in Experimental Humanities and Social Engagement in 2024 from New York University. Her works appear in China Book Review, Cha Journal and Sixth Tone. She is a Spring 2025 fellow at Accent Society. Dissection of the Moon (2025) is her first novel.