Riddles 20

Drown On Land

Alive without breath,
As cold as death,
Never thirsty, Ever drinking,
Clad in mail, Never clinking,
Drowns on dry land,
Thinks an island, Is a mountain,
Thinks a fountain, Is a puff of air.
What am I?

A fish.

Devours Everything!

This thing all things devours:
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats high mountain down.
What am I?

Time!

Never Rust

Glittering points
That downward thrust,
Sparkling spears
That never rust.

Icicle.

Valueless

The cost of making only the maker knows,
Valueless if bought, but sometimes traded.
A poor man may give one as easily as a king.
When one is broken pain and deceit are assured.

Promise.

Blindingly Helpful

I build up castles.
I tear down mountains.
I make some men blind,
I help others to see.
What am I?

Sand.

Voiceless Cries

Voiceless it cries,
Wingless flutters,
Toothless bites,
Mouthless mutters.
What am I?

Wind.

Seemingly Invisible

Die without me,
Never thank me.
Walk right through me,
Never feel me.
Always watching,
Never speaking.
Always lurking,
Never seen.
What am I?

Air.

Pregnancy Alert

Pregnant every time you see her,
yet she never will give birth.
What is she?

Full moon.

Stalker!

Each morning I appear
To lie at your feet,
All day I will follow
No matter how fast you run,
Yet I nearly perish
In the midday sun.
What am I?

Your shadow.

30 White Horses

Thirty white horses on a red hill,
First they champ,
Then they stamp,
Then they stand still.
What are they?

Teeth.

Five Objects

We are five little objects of an everyday sort.
You will find us all in a tennis court.
What are we?

Vowels.

Of No Use

Of no use to one
Yet absolute bliss to two.
The small boy gets it for nothing.
The young man has to lie for it.
The old man has to buy it.
The baby’s right,
The lover’s privilege,
The hypocrite’s mask.
To the young girl, faith;
To the married woman, hope;
To the old maid, charity.What am I?

A kiss.

Three Lives Have I

Three lives have I.
Gentle enough to soothe the skin,
Light enough to caress the sky,
Hard enough to crack rocks.
What am I?

Water.

Flat, Yet Deep

I look flat, but I am deep,
Hidden realms I shelter.
Lives I take, but food I offer.
At times I am beautiful.
I can be calm, angry and turbulent.
I have no heart, but offer pleasure as well as death.
No man can own me, yet I encompass what all men must have.
What am I?

An ocean.

Stealth

Stealthy as a shadow in the dead of night,
Cunning but affectionate if given a bite.
Never owned but often loved.
At my sport considered cruel,
But that’s because you never know me at all.What am I?

A cat.

Circling Straight

I go around in circles,
But always straight ahead
Never complain,
No matter where I am led.

A wheel.

Invasion!

I heard of an invading, vanquishing army
sweeping across the land, liquid-quick;
conquering everything, quelling resistance.
With it came darkness, dimming the light.
Humans hid in their houses, while outside
spears pierced, shattering stone walls.
Uncountable soldiers smashed into the ground,
but each elicited life as he died;
when the army had vanished, advancing northward,
the land was green and growing, refreshed.

A rainstorm.

For All!

What book was once owned by only the wealthy, but now everyone can have it?
You can’t buy it in a bookstore or take it from a library.

A telephone book.

Not Human

Weight in my belly,
Trees on my back,
Nails in my ribs,
Feet I do lack.
What am I?

A ship.

Unbreakable

Ten Men’s Strength,
Ten Men’s Length,
Ten Men can’t break it,
Yet a young boy walks off with itWhat am I?

A rope.