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This is an odd riddle that I made once (the answer is a little hard to catch quickly):

I am unseeing,
not hearing,
not moving,
But I exist, unfeeling,
not thinking,
and empty.
I lie here, not alone, without company,
not stirring,
immobile.
Not lost, but lost.
Not gone, but gone.
I simply lie here, not living,
not moving.
Just here.
What am I?

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4 Answers 4

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Is it

a stone?

I am unseeing,

A stone does not have eyes

not hearing,

A stone does not have ears

not moving,

A stone does not have moving parts

But I exist, unfeeling,

A stone is an entity
And a stone does not have nerves

not thinking,

A stone does not have a brain

and empty.

This, if related to the previous line, could mean the emptiness of feelings.
A stone does not have feelings

I lie here, not alone, without company,

A stone can lie
Not alone; the stone has brethren
But stones cannot be company

not stirring,

A stone does not stir

immobile.

A stone does not move

Not lost, but lost.

Not lost, for itself.
But lost for anyone else, in the myriad of other stones

Not gone, but gone.

Not gone, as an individual
But gone, as a mass

I simply lie here, not living,

A stone can lie
A stone cannot live

not moving.

A stone does not move

Just here.

A stone can be here.

What am I?

A stone!?

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  • $\begingroup$ When I wrote the riddle, I hadn't even considered that stones would be so similar. No, this is not quite the answer, but even so, I'll give you +1 for finding another answer. $\endgroup$ Mar 9, 2022 at 20:20
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Is it

A footprint?

I am unseeing,

A footprint cannot see.

not hearing,

A footprint cannot hear.

not moving,

A footprint does not move.

But I exist, unfeeling,

A footprint can physically exist and is unliving / unfeeling.

not thinking,

A footprint is not living and cannot think.

and empty.

A footprint is physically empty; it is where an imprint was left by something else.

I lie here, not alone, without company,

Footprints are usually left in pairs so a single footprint is not likely to be alone, but whoever / whatever left them is no longer present so they're without company.

not stirring,

A footprint does not stir.

immobile.

A footprint does not move.

Not lost, but lost.

This could go a couple ways. A footprint can be left behind and "lost" by the creator, but if left on a commonly traveled path, then it will be found by those also traveling that path. On the other hand, if a footprint is found somewhere off a beaten path, then the footprint can be found (not lost) but the creator can be lost.

Not gone, but gone.

A footprint can be washed away, covered up, etc. but there may be other traces of someone / something traveling through that area such as broken branches or disturbed rocks. So it can be literally gone, but evidence of a traveler might not be.

I simply lie here, not living,

All a footprint can do is lie here, not living.

not moving.

A footprint does not move.

Just here.

A footprint always exists "here" momentarily with relation to the creator. The word "here" is what forced me to consider something within an immediate vicinity.

What am I?

A footprint

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Are you:

a skeleton

I am unseeing,

has eyes that don't see

not hearing,

ears that don't hear

I lie here, not alone, without company,

In a cemetery with lots of people but nobody to visit with

Not lost, but lost.

Perished but not disoriented

Not gone, but gone.

Not physically distant, but deceased

I simply lie here, not living,

In the ground

not moving.

I should hope not!

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Are you

a photograph of a person?

I am unseeing, not hearing, not moving,

photographed people are inanimate objects

But I exist, unfeeling, not thinking, and empty.

photographed people are still existent, but do not retain the characteristics of the living person

I lie here, not alone, without company, not stirring, immobile.

photographed people can't move (unless you're in the Harry Potter universe), and while a photograph may depict multiple people together (not alone), those other people cannot be considered "company" as they are not living or animate either

Not lost, but lost. Not gone, but gone.

A person in a photograph does not exist anymore because that picture is of a past version of herself. However, somehow she still does exist because that same person is likely still alive and present in the world.

I simply lie here, not living, not moving. Just here.

a photographed person literally just exists in the present. It doesn't live, time has stopped for it.

What am I?

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