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My latest attempt at a riddle, feedback welcomed.

In vain I return to you,
A few whacks and we got rid of the hare,
Can't we just pause for a minute?
What could we use to wine and dine? Mussels?
Sorry, we're all at sea aren't we?
Pretending to be naval.
Is this just a waste of my time?
Who knows!
I'm through with you!

Edit
The correct answer has been found by rubio, but there are a few missing answers to the clues. Remember to use a:

homophone.

I've added some clues for each one below:

What could we use to wine and dine?

Genuine question, hexomino was close.

Can't we just pause for a minute?

Not a genuine question, think oil.

I'm through with you!

Genuine statement, who is you.

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3 Answers 3

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This riddle seems to be about

The body, or at least, parts thereof.
@hexomino is really who cracked the puzzle, but missed the forest for the trees...?
The key is in the homophones!

In vain I return to you,

Blood, which returns to the heart via the veins.

A few whacks and we got rid of the hare,

Hair, which is (sometimes) gotten rid of by applying wax.

Can't we just pause for a minute?

Foramen, an opening in e.g. a bone, often where blood vessels pass through.
(Also, arguably, hands, sometimes colloquially called paws.)
Added by OP: Pores, as in pores on the face.

What could we use to wine and dine? Mussels?

Added by OP: What could we use to whine and dine? Mouth.
Muscles. You do use them to eat and drink, and much much more.

Sorry, we're all at sea aren't we?

Eyes, with which we see.

Pretending to be naval.

Navel, or belly-button.

Is this just a waste of my time?

Waist.

Who knows!

Nose.

I'm through with you!

Probably, "I'm through with you!" gives
Thew, meaning "muscle or strength; nerve; brawn; sinew."
Added by OP: I'm threw with you! An object is thrown by a Hand.

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  • $\begingroup$ Very good, you got it. We're still missing 3 clues. Lines 3 and 9 are incorrect, and missing one on line 4. $\endgroup$
    – Jack Pettinger
    Mar 18, 2018 at 20:41
  • $\begingroup$ @JackPettinger Line 3, I pronounce nothing like that... no wonder! (I think my answer for line 3 is actually completely fine, in any case, even if not the one you intended) $\endgroup$
    – Rubio ♦
    Mar 23, 2018 at 16:21
  • $\begingroup$ Good point, I guess I didn't really think about how other people pronounce words. $\endgroup$
    – Jack Pettinger
    Mar 23, 2018 at 16:24
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I think the answer might be that you are

Homophones

Generally,

Each line contains at least one homophone and a re-reading of each line with the replacement word hints at the answer.

In vain I return to you,

In vein, I return to you,

The first homophone is present in a sense without being directly stated.

A few whacks and we got rid of the hare,

A few wax and we got rid of the hair,

This line makes more sense with the homophone replacements.

Can't we just pause for a minute?

Can't we just paws for a minute?

Not sure about this line, open to suggestions

What could we use to wine and dine? Mussels?

What could we use to whine and dyne? Muscles?

Muscles may be used to whine or produce a dyne (unit of force).

Sorry, we're all at sea aren't we?

Sorry, we're all at see aren't we?

Homophones are distinguished only by sight not by sound.

Pretending to be naval.

Pretending to be navel.

This is a reference both to a homophone being mistaken for another word and the idea of navel-gazing (connected to the sight in the previous line).

Is this just a waste of my time?

Is this just a waist of my time?

The navel from the previous line is located near the waist.

Who knows!

Who nose!

Homophones invoke a confusion between sight and sound. This line is a reference to confusion of the senses.

I'm through with you!

I'm threw with you!

Homophones are designed to throw you off.

Additional notes

The second half of the riddle suggests the you in the riddle might be eyesight and the entire riddle expresses the interplay between the senses and the confusion between them (especially sight and sound).

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  • $\begingroup$ Excellent! Homophones are definitely a factor here, but all the clues are leading to something. $\endgroup$
    – Jack Pettinger
    Mar 17, 2018 at 21:38
  • $\begingroup$ Maybe the word paws should actually be praus? That is the plural of proa which is a type of sailing boat in Malaysia. But I don't think this helps either, though it is just a suggestion. $\endgroup$
    – Mr Pie
    Mar 19, 2018 at 7:50
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Are you (partial)

waves

In vain I return to you,

A few whacks and we got rid of the hare,

Pip Hare is a sailor, maybe waves knocking her off a boat?

Can't we just pause for a minute?

when the sea is calm

What could we use to wine and dine? Mussels?

something about mussels using the waves to get around..

Sorry, we're all at sea aren't we?

waves are all at sea

Pretending to be naval.

not sure / self explanatory

Is this just a waste of my time?

Who knows!

I'm through with you!

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