How No One Buries Someone

When they knew someone was dying

they called each person who had ever loved someone

and told them to come to someone’s side

and that whatever they’d taken from someone 

they should return 

and each put something next to someone’s bed

a lock of hair

a box of matches

a note

a shard of glass

an old book

a mixtape

an empty bottle

and so when someone died

no one had anything left that belonged to someone else

and no one was sad

at all.