Layah took me out back to her vine
pointed to the largest leaves, snapped them off
smoothed them, piled one on the other
gave instructions:

these will make a pot full. 
Once you’ve filled them - 
boil till tender, then cool. 

In her kitchen I watched her hand
flatten each leaf - veins facing up. 
A maple leaf, I thought
but Layah wouldn’t know that. 

Roll the wide end first
fold in the sides
then roll tight toward the tip. 

I smiled to myself  -  a girl from Winnipeg
was going to fill grape leaves like Layah does
with rice and meat, chopped raisins and of course,
fresh coriander leaves, a dash of cumeric. 

By early evening a wide pan simmered on my stove
I ladled the sauce slowly
to keep each bundle – 40 in all -
folded on its belly.

Today my house is filled
with the aroma of Marrakesh  
my hands with shades of green
in lines fortune tellers read.