MY FRIEND'S GOT THIS PROBLEM, MR. CANDLER

Drawing on their experience as high-school teachers, Glenn and Bernstein continue their series of vignettes of urban teenagers, begun with Class Dismissed! (1982). In his usual simple, natural language, Glenn captures the emotional concerns and conditions that dozens of students bring to ``Mr. Candler,'' a fictional school counselor: Ivy Hayden doesn't know what to do when her mother hits her; the world will end if Miki London doesn't do well in the baton-twirling tryouts; a new transferee glibly promises to stay out of trouble; several teens separately declare their love/hate for a teacher, or their attraction for one another, in nearly identical words. The poems are well matched with Bernstein's seemingly-casual b&w portraits, catching natural, unfeigned expressions. The poet's vision is upbeat: problems are there to be solved, anger and confusion can be worked through, the future is always promising. (Poetry. 12-18)*justify no*