Death Mask

(This was an illustration I found in an 1875 edition of Scribner's Monthly. It was titled; "Death-mask".)

It was time
The mask
Must now be worn
For when dying
So much 
Becomes vulnerable
So much to lose
Hold your cards
Close to your chest
Protect those hearts
Play this final hand
With everything
You've got

- T.G. Friel