Poems by Jonna

Sometimes a scene stays with me long after the episode ends.

Not because of the plot, exactly, but because something in it brushes against a feeling I already know: longing, recognition, grief, the ache of almost-saying something. A character can walk through a doorway, sit in silence, lose someone, choose someone, or fail to say the thing that matters — and suddenly the scene belongs partly to me too.

These three poems were both sparked by scenes from TV dramas. They are not exactly about the shows themselves, but about what those moments opened up.

I won’t say which shows inspired them just yet.

I thought it might be more fun to let you guess.

Let it Go

“I think I may have loved you,
but I need to let it go,”
she said,
voice unsteady,
blue cap and gown
hair pinned up
for graduation day.

She was due
to give a speech
in ten minutes.

The phone pressed tight
in his fist,
his forehead resting
against steel.
He didn't say anything
at the other end
of the line.

Aftermath

You don’t get to tell me
you never lost hope
while I clawed at the seams,
trying not to let go.

Scavenging every note
you left behind,
searching for your love
in places already stripped bare.

You don’t get to say
you still love me
when I’ve tracked
a path forward,
a hand to hold.

You don’t get
to do this to me—
not now,
when the earth
has finally steadied
beneath my feet.

Before the Doors Close

The words she said
are still lingering—
a thought that won’t leave you alone.

It lies on your pillow
as you lay your head down,
the imprint of her hand
still resting on your neck.

Rise from your chair
and ask yourself
what matters more:

being right,
or being with her?

It’s time
to chase your love
through the underground.

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These poems began with something I watched — a scene, a look, a silence that lingered after the episode ended. They moved away from the screen pretty quickly and became something more personal.

I’m always interested in how fictional worlds become emotional mirrors. Sometimes what moves us most in a story is not what belongs to the characters, but what it reveals in us.

So now I’m curious:

Could you guess which TV shows inspired these poems?

Leave your guesses in the comments — I’ll reveal the answers soon.

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