Looking for Three Voices poem in Permaculture one!

Hi - I'm looking for the poem at the start of 'Permaculture One' - it's called 'Three Voices' - read it recently in a bookshop, would love to read it again and maybe use as the basis for a piece of music.

If you have the book could you scan the poem or post it up? - It's a beautiful piece, can't find it anywhere else..

Thanks and greetings from Doneraile, County Cork, Ireland

Is this the one you mean?


Three Voices

There are two kinds of men, that seems quite clear. One sees bamboo as grass and one a spear.


Bamboo is grass. How is bamboo a knife? The grasses give us seed, and seed is life.

One thinks of ownership and one of earth. One shapes the forms of death, and one, rebirth.

And what is fear?

It is the eye that sees bamboo as spear.

And one makes war with wheat and one makes bread. One signs of hope, the other arms in dread.


Let others labor, we shall own the land. They'll work for bread, and place it in my hand.

Hi - Yes! That's the one, though just a small part of it

Sorry Stephen, I did not realize there was more to it. (I do not own the book either.) I found that bit on this website, The Vineyard Gazette...
http://www.mvgazette.com/article.php?32983

You might try contacting them to see if they could give you the rest. I did find one other snippet on another website, but so far no one seems to quote the entire thing.

'Take off your cloak of dread
Take up the seed
Learning to grow is Love
Fear is the root of greed'

From the poem, 'The Three Voices' by Bill Mollison in Permaculture 'One'.

Hi Deb

Thanks v much for your effort & suggestion! I remember coming across someone from India looking for the poem on a different forum, they made a play based on it (in Auroville I think), couple of years ago now - I might try asking there too. The net is a wonder - thanks again.