by steel warren

shaking dreamy filmy sleep from my eyes
and skyward leap, finding floors, casting bedding’s flourish 
down tangles aside, I reach for plans that thither fly restless

the couch, such rest as from my trials
I gnawed, and blameless pressed
my worried brow upon that proffered knee

and she had gifted caress and sweet joys
to the battle battered boy
whose troops had tumbled through broken
troyen walls

pushed past scarred enemies,
stumbled into open boats
to rescue or the ever ready graves
where ancient troyan brothers recline in sleep
and we'd cut fresh courses cross blued deeps

I brought them here across the sea and vanquished foe, 
past broken walls and family's broken bloodied bone
arm’ed them 'gainst pursuing foe

now how far these dry desert distant shores
we've flown and dragged our homeless fleet ashore
as welcomed, by these new found friends

Carthaginians to these near vanquished Trojans -
welcome friend

Greeks breached our doors with gifts
of death when guided through well wall lost
my weary crumbled troy, gaps breached
the walls with horsemen hard hooves stride
gates kept our joy, great gates thrown wide

in haughty prides demise
Neptune's walls had rung us safely round,
ten years the battle waves broke there, froth empty air, 
been brained breached in crafty warriors wounds

leap out, how mown down our sleeping warriors, 
like bleating sheep, slain sleeping midst the traitor wineskin, 
dashed now with kinsman's purple blood
splashed babies blood amidst the flood

and flung down with crumbled crash where once stood tall. 
Troy carved from Neptune's seaclad walls
here we flew pursued and wounded
found the like flight of Sidons' princess

new perched this Carthage upon the Afric-shore
a safety home for lost princesses and her clan
made this new laid city beached out of reach of brother thunder

founded where refuges have tumbled fled when hounded, 
pounded hence from Sidon's brothers plans

Queen, Dido sweet, welcomed these Trojan remnants, 
bruised' thirsty patched march made common cause with our estrangements

gave us food and rooves to shelter
fed from their new found welter
made her hand an offered gift
then knelt I and took in thanks and kissed
fell I then in swooning sleep

dangers from my eyes, been swept
and I slept like stygian dreary dead
and every looming haunted care hath fled
woke I, with blessed queen beside
her scented tousled hair, surrounds and chides me
careless stretched and unchecked flow

what cause I fled and where to tarry
could I take this hand and marry
leave the fate of Trojans lost
while I rest here, queenly fed

When I took such refuge here, could I know
The queen would urge me not to go
And hinder here, with tearful sighs
And welcome me, to share her eyes
And lie beside her unmasked
disguise this hunger here, strikes breast
how to tell her, steel her heart
against again the lovers losing dart
she whose husband hath been torn away
her fair heart bruised broken,
just now sees hinting play of day

That my duty calls me, tears her love again
break the kiss, my new made friend
she whose offered more than trust
part we must for I must find
The place grave Jupiter taught was mine

And weary 'gain place on the sea the host of Trojan
refugees
Seek the place
this unseen shore
where we will find surcease of sorrow
take sail unto the land's tomorrow
promised by Olympian oath
and turn from Dido's offered troth

Land and signs
where we may stay
and found our city
on some unseen clay
tear again away
this City's welcome home and hearth
these Carthaginians offer

and toward some distant vista fly
stay, they offer us all homes
stay and join upon this rocky shore
Ourselves with them as of one stem and blend
our hopes with theirs

They have left them, Tyre and Sidon,
driven by a kinsman scorn
Welcomed us from painful flight across the seas
from troyan burning night

lost out upon the trackless sea
where kinsman tossed and ruddy death denies
us peace as we from our homeland hearts do
seek

I must tell her,
break her broken heart again
her husband has to Hades fled
leaving her heart again in dread

a second tearing loss it mars
it cannot bear
the great heart sobs, she stirs
limbs jerk as if in dreams
she learns my truth
could I jar such lovely limbs
and crush out
a new hoping heart again in lovers loss

She who'd gain respite from fear
Says she's found in me a love gifted down from
Olympus high
Hear me, can I tear her nigh
blind that love light, in dancing eye
she wakes and peeks
sees me, smiles
midst and pillows seek
with happy sigh a restful hour

before my burden
bends these dainty limbs with heavy freighted tears
still caught in my breast
sweet Dido dear, enjoy thy rest

Leave I must tis Zeus's plan
deaf to throbbing heart of man
thrust the throng out on Neptune's sea
Find the seat of Trojan piety
Wrung from soils across the sea
and toils uncounted though foes implacable

wrest new fame
and build anew the Troyan wall
I summon up my warriors art
break off embrace and tear her heart
give her ashes and bring her flames
instead of dreams
as godlings spurn our open schemes

Will she cease and turn aside,
as I break her maidens pride
spurn her dreams dashed to the dust
Tear her hair and break her trust