“On Robert Blake”
Earlier this month, Robert Blake was acquitted of murder charges in the death of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. During these past 4 years, Blake has invested every breath and every dollar in defending himself against the largely circumstantial case the State had brought against him after Bakley was shot and killed in Los Angeles in 2001.
Now, just past 70, Blake is left to try and somehow resurrect his career — a career that began when he was child and then spanned decades of memorable characters and brilliant biting portrayals (of which “Baretta”) is but one.
This particular piece was written after Blake’s arrest, following a discussion I had with another writer about “Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here.” The 1969 film contains some of Blake’s finest (and least remembered) work — a cinematic triumph of spirit and will this testament to one of the great Thespians of our times.
Finally, Eric Ward’s beautifully understated portrait captures Blake’s most publicly accepted face: in the shadows of “Baretta,” peering out through the walls of a cruel and stagnate future.
Original portrait by Eric Ward, © 2005. All rights reserved.
On Robert Blake
Looking into
The candles
Of your eyes
(dead)
Men on trial
(sing)
Hymns to ghosts
(Looking)
Into the
Silver candles
(of)
Your eyes
(saw)
The whole
World burn
(Good Men)
Tried with ‘words’
(‘multi’)
The media
Of the wolf
(this animal)
Roams in packs
(newspapers)
Cold television
Static dreams
(saw)
Your photographed image
On screen
(it weeps)
The wings
(of)
The dying
(and)
The dead
(good)
Men tried
For their crimes
(but)
No proof
No evidence
No blood
(nothing)
Tangible with reason
(holds)
You here
(just)
A prisoner
Of words
(tried)
By ghosts
(in)
The courtrooms
(of)
The dead
(and)
The damned
(I saw)
You here
(just)
Electric phantoms across
Your mouth
(mopping)
Up the smell
Of old bone
(with)
The gasoline flames
(of)
This last
Living breath
Electric Review 