It looks like a worm, but really it's a plant
From Qinghai-Tibet - the Blue Treasure Plateau
Where bat moths lay eggs on thin grass
And larvae hatch by thousands
Through their mouths fungus invades
The sickened worms crawl into the soil
Heads up as they turn in agony
Till spring comes and the fungus bursts--
A purple sprout on the hollowed head
On the first day, it has the best value as medicine
On the second, half of its potency is lost
On the third, it becomes a weed
This is how chongcao grows on the high plateau
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