Allison Mei-Li

Poet · Mother · Meaning-Maker

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 in my debut collection, A History of Holding—each one an invitation to feel deeply and remember what matters.

If you are interested in bringing poetry to your event or co-hosting soulful gatherings for mothers and women, please reach out.

Thank you for being here.