In Memory of Leslie Bonnette

We are sad to share the news of the passing of longtime WFR participant Leslie Bonnette, who died on June 29, 2023 at the home she shared with her husband Thomas in Shelburne, VT.

I’m not sure, but it’s quite possible that Leslie attended our first ever official WFR workshop session at the old Turning Point in Burlington. If she didn’t, she showed up soon after, bringing a wonderful writing style, a fearless approach to the written word, and a lovely sense of kindness. Leslie participated in our very first public reading at Burlington’s ECHO center on Recovery Day in September, 2014. The people who were lucky enough to hear her were undoubtedly stunned by the beauty and intensity of work like “What I Have Recovered,” which I include below.

Leslie was a proud child of the 60s and a huge music fan. Later on, she shared some of her drawings, and I learned that she was a talented artist as well. That she did so many things so well is a testament to her personal strength; she successfully escaped an abusive relationship in her early years, and fought mightily for her recovery through a number of setbacks.

If there is one thing I will remember Leslie for, it was her crows. She told great stories about the birds who visited her and brought her gifts, no doubt because she fed them so well. Every time I saw her, I was sure to ask about the crows, and it always made her smile. I hope wherever she is now, they can find her and brighten her day. We send our condolences to Thomas and the rest of Leslie’s friends and family.

“What I Have Recovered,” by Leslie Bonnette

I have recovered

A shattering of shards

Spiritual pieces of myself

Recovered from compulsion,

Never knowing what it was

That hole so deep it was unfillable

No matter how and what I tried

I tried to recover

From the digging of that hole

I tried again and again and again

And now I feel full of awe and joy fleetingly

But I feel.

That’s what I’ve recovered.