For an organisation devoted to technology and innovation, Northern Ireland’s annual MATRIX poetry competition is a determined attempt to tackle stereotypical distinctions between arts and sciences.
In a part of the UK with more than its fair share of hard-edged black & white positions, it is worthwhile pointing out that in the design of laptops, tablets and phones, silver-grey with rounded corners is a very stylish choice.
Poetry is, of course, a deal further on from product design but, when innovators launch their new ventures, the value of well-chosen words can never be underestimated. Every week we enjoy Norman’s Blog – a compendium of historical linkages often triggered by the latest excitements at the NI Science Park – and Norman Apsley’s stories are all the more memorable for the way that he tells them.
My own career in telecoms was, on the surface, a very technological pursuit but one where there were countless opportunities for wordsmiths. It may not have been what I was paid to do but I now count those years as excellent training in creative writing – and even if my Action Pointer series (totally uncalled-for essays) raised a few senior eyebrows they often served to open minds to new possibilities.
So now, despite carrying a technology-driven label, I cannot deny that I am (and always have been) a writer. Recognition, even in some minor way, is always satisfying – like tracking if readers crack up at the same embedded chuckle points – and today’s event is priceless.
Few of us place enough value on words and I’d not rate my own efforts as particularly worthwhile. For the most part, poetry is a personal and private pre-occupation, rarely shared beyond friends and family, but this day simply cannot pass without expressing my thanks to MATRIX for the honour bestowed on my lines about Linked in and tenuous social media connections.
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The full Groupe Intellex archive is at http://www.groupe-intellex.com
Full text of the winning entry ‘Linked In?‘
Groupe Intellex 
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