diff --git a/app/Markdown.hs b/app/Markdown.hs
index 4d198f7..752c613 100644
--- a/app/Markdown.hs
+++ b/app/Markdown.hs
@@ -1,9 +1,5 @@
-module Markdown
-  ( module Markdown.Parser,
-    module Markdown.Data,
-  )
-where
+{-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
 
-import Markdown.Data
-import Markdown.Parser
+module Markdown () where
 
+import CMark
diff --git a/app/Markdown/Data.hs b/app/Markdown/Data.hs
deleted file mode 100644
index 8be03a3..0000000
--- a/app/Markdown/Data.hs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,43 +0,0 @@
-{-# LANGUAGE FlexibleContexts #-}
-{-# LANGUAGE RankNTypes #-}
-
-module Markdown.Data
-  ( MListItem,
-    Parser,
-    MarkdownElement
-      ( MHeading,
-        MParagraph,
-        MBold,
-        MItalic,
-        MBoldItalic,
-        MLink,
-        MLine,
-        MUnorderedList,
-        MOrderedList,
-        Only
-      ),
-  )
-where
-
-import Data.Text
-import Text.Parsec
-
--- very slightly modified version of https://github.com/tusharad/markdown-parser
-data MarkdownElement
-  = MHeading Int MarkdownElement
-  | MParagraph MarkdownElement
-  | MBold MarkdownElement
-  | MItalic MarkdownElement
-  | MBoldItalic MarkdownElement
-  | MLink MarkdownElement Text
-  | MLine [MarkdownElement]
-  | MUnorderedList [MListItem]
-  | MOrderedList [MListItem]
-  | Raw Text -- HTML contained in the markdown
-  | Only Text -- Bottom of all types
-  deriving (Eq, Show)
-
-data MListItem = MListItem MarkdownElement [MarkdownElement]
-  deriving (Eq, Show)
-
-type Parser v = forall s u m. (Monad m, Stream s m Char) => ParsecT s u m v
diff --git a/app/Markdown/Parser.hs b/app/Markdown/Parser.hs
deleted file mode 100644
index 28d9722..0000000
--- a/app/Markdown/Parser.hs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-{-# LANGUAGE FlexibleContexts #-}
-{-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
-
-module Markdown.Parser
-  ( heading,
-  )
-where
-
-import Markdown.Data
-import Text.Parsec
-
--- https://spec.commonmark.org/0.31.2/
--- https://hackage.haskell.org/package/parsec
-
--- only ATX headings
-heading :: Parser MarkdownElement
-heading = do
-  -- technically this can lead to illegal heading levels but
-  -- all the input is written by me so who cares
-  level <- fmap length $ try $ many1 $ char '#'
-
-  return $ MHeading level $ Only "TODO"
-
-rawHTML
diff --git a/app/Restruct.hs b/app/Restruct.hs
index 2fd3e42..8337dc2 100644
--- a/app/Restruct.hs
+++ b/app/Restruct.hs
@@ -2,3 +2,34 @@ module Restruct where
 
 -- https://docutils.sourceforge.io/rst.html
 -- https://www.sphinx-doc.org/en/master/usage/restructuredtext/basics.html
+
+-- https://hackage.haskell.org/package/parsec-3.1.18.0/docs/doc-index-All.html
+
+import Data.Text (Text)
+import Data.Void (Void)
+import Text.Parsec as P
+
+data RestElement
+  = RBody RestBody
+  | RTransition
+  | -- list of integers is the location in the section heirachy it is, Text is the title
+    -- NOTE: future me don't bother with proper restext convention do header depth via #n prefix to the title
+    RSection [Int] Text RestBody
+
+data RestBody
+  = RParagraph [RInlineText]
+  | RBulletList Void
+  | REnumList Void
+  | RDefinitionList Void
+  | RFieldList Void
+  | ROptionList Void
+  | RLiteralBlock Void
+  | RLineBlock Void
+  | RBlockQuote Void
+  | -- skipping doctest blocks because no I'll just use a literal block thanks
+    RTable Void
+  | RExplicit Void
+
+data MarkupModifier = Underline | Bold | Italic
+
+data RInlineText = RInLineText {text :: Text, modifiers :: [MarkupModifier]}
diff --git a/psb.cabal b/psb.cabal
index e78733d..a17fadd 100644
--- a/psb.cabal
+++ b/psb.cabal
@@ -29,13 +29,14 @@ executable psb
     -- .hs or .lhs file containing the Main module.
     main-is:          Main.hs
 
-    other-modules: Config Utilities Templates Types IR Markdown Markdown.Data Markdown.Parser Restruct
+    other-modules: Config Utilities Templates Types IR Markdown Restruct
 
     default-extensions: ApplicativeDo DataKinds NamedFieldPuns DerivingVia LambdaCase TypeApplications DeriveGeneric
 
     -- Other library packages from which modules are imported.
     -- https://hackage.haskell.org/package/texmath
-    build-depends:    base >=4.17.2.1, mustache >=2.4.2, pandoc >=3.2.1, shake >= 0.19.8, deriving-aeson >= 0.2.9, aeson, text, time, unordered-containers, yaml, parsec >= 3.1.18.0, typst >= 0.6.1, typst-symbols >= 0.1.7
+    -- cmark is pinned because I don't want to touch it unless I rewrite to my own code
+    build-depends:    base >=4.17.2.1, mustache >=2.4.2, pandoc >=3.2.1, shake >= 0.19.8, deriving-aeson >= 0.2.9, aeson, text, time, unordered-containers, yaml, parsec >= 3.1.18.0, typst >= 0.6.1, typst-symbols >= 0.1.7, cmark == 0.6.1
 
     -- Directories containing source files.
     hs-source-dirs:   app