April wasn’t the cruelest month, thanks to an island visit by Washington State Poet Laureate Claudia Castro Luna.

First, the Seattle poet gave a reading to San Juan Island School District students, then a public reading at the San Juan Island Library on April 27. There, she recognized Lisa Salisbury, of San Juan Island, who won the Washington State Ferries online haiku contest.

The next day, islanders joined Luna, with their favorite poems in tow, for a hike at American Camp, followed by a poetry workshop with her at the library.

According to the Washington State Arts Commission, or ArtsWA, Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee appointed Luna as the fifth state poet laureate for a term that runs from Feb. 1, 2018, to Jan. 31, 2020.

The Washington State Poet Laureate position was established by the state Legislature in 2007, according to www.arts.wa.gov. The Washington State Poet Laureate is a joint program of the Washington State Arts Commission and Humanities Washington.