(Hebrew: אלישע פורת‎‎; June 25, 1938 - March 24, 2013) was a Hebrew poet and writer. He has published 19 volumes of fiction and poetry in Hebrew since 1973 and won the 1996 Israel's Prime Minister's Prize for Literature..

Elisha Porat was born in Kibbutz Ein Hahoresh in 1938. His latest Hebrew poems book, "My Reprive is Still Valid", was published in Israel, 2005, by Hakibbutz Hameuchad Publishers. His works have appeared in translation in Israel, the United States, Canada and England. The English translation of his short stories collection "The Messiah of LaGuardia", Mosaic Press, was released in 1997. The English translation of his second stories collection "PAYBACK", was published 2002 at Wind River Press. His new novel "EPISODE", a biographical novel, just released by "Y&H" Publishers, Israel, 2006.

His works, poetry and fiction, were translated from the Hebrew into the English, and were published, as print and as online, in a selected literary stages. Elisha Porat's works were published at Midstream, Tikkun, Ariel, War Literature and Arts, Rattle, Porcupine, Oyster Boy Review, Another Chicago Magazine, Boston Review, Poetrymagazine.com, Snake Nation Review, The Paumanok Review, The Pedestal Magazine, Jewish Quarterly, Deep South, MPT Modern Poetry in Translation, and others.

Khamsin on the Hills 

Do you remember that
khamsin on the hills?  The branches
full of thorns sent to us by
the thirsty wild plums?  The
blazing rocks and the scent
of toasted pine needles?
The blush that rose on your cheeks, and the drops
of your gentle sweat?  My soul
reached out to you then my love.
And I did not guess there that such
would be our lives:  crowns of thorns,
and the heat of the khamsim, and the blush of
the sweat of love.  And the sorrow that eats
at us from inside for the speed of elusive
time and the lightning vision of
painful memory, flying away.  

translated from the Hebrew by Cindy Eisner

On the Coastal Road

Hold your fire, soldier, hold it,
and do not heed the barking of the bloody dogs
of Sarafand, bursting out
from the groves and the huts in the shade.
Hold your fire, soldier,
and do not fear the biting shots
that fly and strike
the side of the armored vehicle,
as it crosses the heavy walls
dark with ivy.
Hold your fire, soldier,
and do not forget:  the convoy advances
flying and galloping
to the warm blue south.
There the heat is steamy
the white rock shines,
and the evacuation teams are on call
ready to give their hearts for you,
to give their all.

South Lebanon, 1985.

Translated from the Hebrew by Cindy Eisner

 Last Time

IAs if I sensed it, as if you clearly knew,

That this our final encounter it was

lying joined me to you. You were generous,

And when your pupils had dilated, I saw

A radiant moisture. We were

Subdued and we took our time. You

Dressed and I retrieved

A hair clip that had fallen. And when I returned

From the mountain, I recalled the strange

Words, that burst from you, in a whisper,

Quite unexpectedly, in the throes of desire.

Translated from the Hebrew by Cindy Eisner

© Copyright, Elisha Porat.
All Rights Reserved.

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