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.

Why this works

This riddle cleverly describes a shadow using vivid imagery. "Each morning I appear to lie at your feet" suggests how shadows are long and prominent in the early morning light. The phrase "All day I will follow no matter how fast you run" captures the way shadows move with us, always trailing behind regardless of our speed. Finally, "Yet I nearly perish in the midday sun" points to the fact that shadows become shorter and less defined when the sun is directly overhead, illustrating how they can seem to vanish or fade in intense light.