And I Blamed Canadian Winter Again: Poems East & West by Arun Budhathoki: A heartfelt execution of poetry

In And I Blamed Canadian Winter Again: Poems East & West, Nepalese-Canadian poet Arun Budhathoki reflects on his journey between the snow-laden landscapes of New Brunswick and the towering Himalayas of his childhood.

Spoiler-free Plot

Navigating the complexities of identity, migration, and belonging, Arun Budhathoki captures the solitude of winter, the warmth of nostalgia, and the emotional crossroads of life in a foreign land. With a voice that bridges cultures, Arun paints vivid portraits of Fredericton’s riverbanks, the echoes of his Himalayan upbringing, and the quiet struggles of adaptation.

His poetry, rich in imagery and raw emotion, moves fluidly between past and present, charting the resilience of an immigrant soul. After a decade-long hiatus from publishing poetry, Arun returns to his first love — verse. Through this collection, he shares deeply personal reflections on art, survival, and the poetic journey, shaped by years of self-doubt, inspiration, and cosmic intervention.

This book, supported by the arts community of New Brunswick and encouraged by his mentor Yuyutsu RD Sharma, is not just a return to poetry — it is a testament to the enduring power of words to illuminate, comfort, and transcend borders.

My Take on And I Blamed Canadian Winter Again

I would like to start this review by highlighting author Arun Budhathoki’s prologue since I believe it has a lot of value. Budhathoki takes the time to point out the decreasing relevance of poetry in the modern world, but also emphasizes the need to continue and how, as poets, they should strive to carry on. It is a heartfelt display of passion, and I think that it needs to be praised.

The book itself is a compilation of poems and shows Budhathoki’s growth since the days of his 2014 debut, Prisoner of an iPad: New Poems, which would make sense given his decade-long evolution. There is an element of calm maturity in his work, which is reflected by the specific and yet universal nature of the words he displays in this book.

A good example of this, I believe, is one of my favorite pieces from this book, “Take me home if you drive a cab”. Him being from Nepal and residing in Canada, this poem highlights his own personal struggles as a foreigner, adding some truly specific moments as the scenery he paints with his words. However, it also echoes the universal nature of feeling isolated in an unknown place. It is this ability that makes this book so compelling, as it manages to achieve a very unique balance.

Indeed, the author’s experiences abroad tend to shape the bulk of this work, giving it a sense of melancholy that is both heartfelt and worth analyzing. Arun Budhathoki doesn’t seem to write these pieces to be pitied, as one can see in the highlight that is “Mourning Jerusha’s Disappearance”, but rather tells his own journey through the lenses of a poet.

In that regard, as it tends to happen with a lot of artists, these pieces serve as an insight into the poet’s psyche and what has driven him during the most recent years. Therefore, that could be the biggest deal-breaker for a lot of newcomers, with some of them perhaps thinking they don’t want this specific approach. It is understandable, but they are definitely missing out on some truly great writing.

There are also some experimentations with the structure, as evidenced by what I consider one of the strongest poems in the book, “Goodnight Fredericton”. Here, Budhathoki uses a very specific structure that allows him to expand his vocabulary and visual imagery, which is perhaps one of his most underrated abilities as a poet.

And I Blamed Canadian Winter Again is not for everyone. Perhaps that is something that could be said about poetry in general. However, one can’t deny the sentiment and the passion that is injected into these poets and how they seem to reflect the state of mind of the author at every single step of the way.

It was a wonderful read and one that takes time to digest, which is something that he rightfully explains in the prologue, emphasizing how poetry needs time to be understood. It is a wonderful read and a reminder of the value of poetry in these changing times.

A poignant and intimate collection, “And I Blamed Canadian Winter Again” bridges continents and cultures to show how poetry can still illuminate, comfort, and connect us in changing times.

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