The sinking of the Belgrano
No queremos guerra abierta,
No queremos guerra abierta,
We don't want open war,
his generals told Galtieri
at twenty hours before.
Mutual withdrawal of forces,
Mutual withdrawal of forces,
agreed Galtieri with Belaunde,
begged Belaunde of Thatcher's man,
at thirteen hours before.
Yet she, the vacuous sublime,
Conqueror unleashed
to tear a vessel to a tin tomb
holed below the waterline,
unsealing
bloated mushrooms,
where comrades propped the scorched cadet
who screamed Quiero morir!
and peace, torpedoed,
sank for the umpteenth time.