Bertrand P. Fote, MD, MBA, FACEP
Floodgates takes us into a unique journey through poetry that exposes simple truths in the complex world of medical science. It brings out, in a very simple, casual and enjoyable manner, the effects daily emergency room encounters on the on the human spirit, be it the doctor, patient or family member. It will put a smile on the reader’s face as it reaches and connects each human being to another.
It is poetry that everyone will find interesting, regardless of their medical background. The reader can't help but ponder when we read of "frequent flyers" who use the emergency room as a hotel, or help but spring to laughter at the surgeon's reverence for flatus or fart because of its surgical value. It is poetry that connects us all, as the reader can't help but join the doctor who mourns Little Chris that drowned in his grandparents' pool or cries with the 3-year old (Little J) that he diagnosed with cancer. Poems like "ectopic pregnancy" or "kidney stone" enligthen the reader to the cause and treatment of disease, in a very entertaining manner.
As Dr Joyce Ashuntantang, Ph.D., writes in the foreword, floodgates takes us through a unique excursion to the human body, where we become witnesses not only to human pain and suffering but also to the abundance of human compassion and empathy. The poems show patients as human beings beyond their disease and that is why their demise or triumph over pain and suffering induces poetry from the doctor, she points out.
Dr. Bertrand Fote is an emergency physician practicing in North Carolina. His journey began in the small West African nation of Cameroon where he was born and lived until he moved to the United States at age 17. He obtained his medical degree at Howard University in Washington DC, after getting a Bachelor’s degree Magna Cum Laude in electrical engineering from the University of the District of Columbia. He is a board certified emergency physician and a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians. He also holds an MBA from Auburn University in Alabama.
Bertrand is known for his ever-present smile and love of singing. In fact, many of his patients refer to him as “the singing doctor.” His warm nature and positive outlook at life is evident in his writings. In this offering, he shares some of his perspectives on life and humanity. His poetry brings out the realities of the effects of the art and science of medicine on the human spirit and soul. It brings out simple truths, sometimes forgotten or ignored in our complex world. This collection, Floodgates: Emergency Room life in verse takes the reader on a unique journey that transcends medical science to expose the joys and pains of life expressed in an incredibly simple, casual and enjoyable manner.
Bertrand’s poetry has been published in several anthologies. This is his second poetry collection. He is also the author of Reflections From Within: A Collection of though-provoking, mind-searching poems. He loves playing the keyboard, scrabble, theater, soccer and golf. He also enjoys traveling.
Excerpt from - Oh flatus: Good gas from below( a general surgeon's best friend)
Oh flatus! Almighty flatus
My most cherished friend
Without your vaporized juice
My scalpels shall see their end
In the operating room I cut the colon
And then begins my love for you
I may seem so proud and strong
But I fall on my knees waiting for you
I wake up in the morning thinking of you
“Did you pass gas yet?” I ask my patients
I go to bed at night thinking about you
Your smallest delay threatens my patience
Excerpt from To see grandma
Little Chris was just two
Cute and charming he was
Grandma’s little boy too
Grandpa’s good friend he was
One fine day mom took him
To grandma’s and grandpa’s
A happy day for him
Every stay at grandma’s
But on this fateful day
Many lives sadly changed
When little Chris went out to play
Beyond grandma’s eyes’ range
In the pool he was found
His playful smile now gone
Like a log on the ground
Lifeless – an angel gone!
Excerpt from ICU (Intensive Care Unit or I see U?)
He lies there
Trapped on his bed
Like Daniel once stood
In the ferocious lions’ den
Helpless like a child
Counting on humanity’s kindness
Only this time
He wonders
Whether these ‘things’
Strapped everywhere
Some to his chest
Some to his nose
Even his mouth
Every opening
Hooked to something
Like water pipes
With fluids of every color
Red, brown, clear or misty
Running back and forth
He wonders if these ‘pipes’
Are lions in his life’s den
Ready to strike
At the next signal
Excerpt from Kidney stone
You say I’m just a small stone
Yet when I come by, you moan
When I shake you start to scream
If I stay, you say I’m mean
I can make you dance around
In ways you may not be prou
