A long time ago on a continent far, far away....

According to the Roman poet Virgil's Latin epic, "The Aeneid":

Aeneas, son of Venus, is one of the few survivors of the sack of Troy. Jupiter, king of the gods, decrees that it is Aeneas's destiny to lead the remaining Trojans from Asia Minor to Italy, where Aeneas's descendants will found the city, and later empire, of Rome.

Meanwhile, Juno, queen of the gods, is determined to destroy the Trojans once and for all. As Aeneas sails for Italy, she sends a storm which beaches the Trojan fleet near Carthage. There, Queen Dido shelters the Trojans and falls in love with Aeneas. Aeneas begins to think of abandoning his Italian destiny to settle down in Africa with Dido. To make sure he stays, Dido plans to burn Aeneas's fleet.

Mercury, messenger of the gods, warns Aeneas, who leaves with the Trojans in the middle of the night. Bereft and forlorn, Dido, discovering Aeneas's departure, calls for an avenger to hound the descendants of Aeneas (Hannibal, scourge of Rome). She commits suicide.

My poem below is what Aeneas wishes he could have said to Dido. Notes: (1) Sidon is a city in Phoenicia; the Phoenicians founded Carthage, and, in "The Aeneid," the names of Phoenician cities are often used as poetic substitutes for Carthage itself. (2) "The Aeneid" begins, "Arma virumque cano..." --- "I sing of arms [or wars] and the man [Aeneas]...."