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.
