Allison Mei-Li

Poet · Mother · Meaning-Maker

A hand holding a small piece of paper with the text 'poems on motherhood' against a blurred background of bright pink flowers and green leaves.
Woman with long dark hair sitting at a wooden desk, smiling, holding a pen over an open notebook. Background includes framed photos on the wall, a lamp, and a potted plant.

I’m Allison, a poet and mother based in Ventura County, California.

I view poetry as both an art form and a way of living. It’s the tender act of paying attention. A way to offer truth and intimacy in a world that tends to rush past both.

My current work is deeply shaped by the experience of raising a child. My four-year-old son is always asking big, existential questions that stop me in my tracks and help me see the world anew. I’m more attuned than ever to both the magic and heartache of being alive.

This perspective lives inside my poems. I think of each one like a pressed flower—delicate fragments of memory, wonder, and ache preserved.

When I’m not writing, I’m chasing after my pre-schooler, reading poetry submissions for The Turning Leaf Journal, and helping others find their voice as a speech-language pathologist. My superpowers are dreaming big, bringing people together, voicing quiet truths, and noticing what often goes unseen.

You’ll find my poetry in literary mags, at gatherings, and soon, in my debut book—each one an invitation to feel deeply and remember what matters.

Thank you for being here.

A woman sitting on the floor of a living room in front of a coffee table covered with notecards and paper, writing in a notebook. The room has a brown leather sofa, wooden armchairs, and a bookshelf. Art and photographs hang on the walls, and there's a lamp providing ambient light.