diff --git a/interp/eval.go b/interp/eval.go
index 1d3b10e..b5a69c7 100644
--- a/interp/eval.go
+++ b/interp/eval.go
@@ -100,14 +100,19 @@ func (p *process_t) Return(val string) {
 	p.stack[p.sp-p.ctx.count] = unsafe.Pointer(&val)
 }
 
-func (p *process_t) push_context(node *Cnode_t) {
-	p.ctx = &context_t{count: 0, parent_ctx: p.ctx, parent_node: node}
+func (p *process_t) push_context(node *Cnode_t, container_node *Cnode_t) {
+	p.ctx = &context_t{count: 0, parent_ctx: p.ctx, parent_node: node, container_node: container_node}
 }
 
-func (p *process_t) pop_context() (node *Cnode_t) {
-	var i int
+func (p *process_t) pop_context() (*Cnode_t, *Cnode_t) {
+	var (
+		i         int
+		node      *Cnode_t
+		container *Cnode_t
+	)
 
 	node = p.ctx.parent_node
+	container = p.ctx.container_node
 
 	// clean up the unused part of the stack
 	for i = 1; i < p.ctx.count; i++ {
@@ -121,72 +126,88 @@ func (p *process_t) pop_context() (node *Cnode_t) {
 	if p.ctx != nil {
 		p.ctx.count++ // let the return value be the argument to the caller
 	}
-	return
+
+	return node, container
 }
 
-/*
-stmt
-
-	   text text bracket
-		              stmt: text text
-					  stmt: text TEXT
-*/
-func (interp *Interp) eval_atom_node(node *Cnode_t) (*string, error) {
+func (interp *Interp) eval_node_child(container_node *Cnode_t) (*string, error) {
 	var (
-		p     process_t
-		v     *string
-		inode *Cnode_t
-		err   error
+		p          process_t
+		v          *string
+		stmt_node  *Cnode_t
+		inner_node *Cnode_t
+		err        error
 	)
 
-	p.interp = interp
+	v = new(string) // TODO: change new(string) to a const
 
-	for node != nil {
-		p.push_context(node)
+	p.interp = interp
+	stmt_node = container_node.child
+
+	fmt.Printf("START p.sp = %d\n", p.sp)
+	for stmt_node != nil {
+		if stmt_node.code != CNODE_STMT {
+			panic("internal error - not statement node")
+		}
+
+		p.push_context(stmt_node, nil)
 		p.push_string_value("") // placeholder for return value
 
-		for inode = node.child; inode != nil; inode = inode.next {
-			switch inode.code {
+	start_over:
+		inner_node = stmt_node.child
+	resume:
+		for inner_node != nil {
+			switch inner_node.code {
 			case CNODE_BRACKET:
-				//p.push_context(inode)
-				//p.push_string_value("")
-				//node =
+
+				if inner_node.child != nil {
+					stmt_node = inner_node.child // first statement inside []
+					p.push_context(stmt_node, inner_node)
+					p.push_string_value("")
+					goto start_over
+				} else {
+					// no statements inside []. treat it like an empty string
+					p.push_string_value("")
+				}
 
 			case CNODE_TEXT:
 
-				//fmt.Printf("XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx[%s]\n", string(inode.token))
-				err = p.push_string_value(string(inode.token))
+				//fmt.Printf("XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx[%s]\n", string(child_node.token))
+				err = p.push_string_value(string(inner_node.token))
 				if err != nil {
 					goto oops
 				}
+
+				// TODO: many more types...
 			}
+
+			inner_node = inner_node.next
 		}
 
-		fmt.Printf("CALLING\n")
+		//fmt.Printf("CALLING\n")
 		err = p.call()
 		if err != nil {
 			goto oops
 		}
-		if p.ctx.parent_ctx != nil {
-			p.pop_context()
+
+		stmt_node, inner_node = p.pop_context()
+		if inner_node != nil {
+			inner_node = inner_node.next
+			goto resume
 		}
 
-		node = node.next
-	}
-
-	v = (*string)(p.pop_value())
-	p.pop_context()
-	if p.ctx != nil {
-		err = fmt.Errorf("internal error - dangling process context")
-		goto oops
+		v = (*string)(p.pop_value()) // get the return value of the statement.
+		stmt_node = stmt_node.next
 	}
 
+	fmt.Printf("END p.sp = %d\n", p.sp)
 	return v, nil
 
 oops:
 	return nil, err
 }
 
+/*
 func (interp *Interp) eval_atom_node_old(node *Cnode_t) (*string, error) {
 
 	var (
@@ -295,6 +316,7 @@ func (interp *Interp) eval_atom_node_old(node *Cnode_t) (*string, error) {
 oops:
 	return nil, err
 }
+*/
 
 func (interp *Interp) eval_arg(p *process_t, pos int) (*string, error) {
 	var (
@@ -305,7 +327,8 @@ func (interp *Interp) eval_arg(p *process_t, pos int) (*string, error) {
 	if ptr&1 == 1 { // cnode
 		ptr &= ^uintptr(1)
 		interp.dump_cnodes((*Cnode_t)(unsafe.Pointer(ptr)), true)
-		return interp.eval_atom_node((*Cnode_t)(unsafe.Pointer(ptr)).child)
+		//return interp.eval_atom_node((*Cnode_t)(unsafe.Pointer(ptr)).child)
+		return interp.eval_node_child((*Cnode_t)(unsafe.Pointer(ptr)))
 	} else {
 		return (*string)(unsafe.Pointer(ptr)), nil
 	}
diff --git a/interp/pcl.go b/interp/pcl.go
index 2d2d031..714784b 100644
--- a/interp/pcl.go
+++ b/interp/pcl.go
@@ -34,9 +34,10 @@ const NULL_RUNE rune = '\u0000'
 const EOF_RUNE rune = rune(^0)
 
 type context_t struct {
-	count       int
-	parent_ctx  *context_t
-	parent_node *Cnode_t
+	count          int
+	parent_ctx     *context_t
+	parent_node    *Cnode_t
+	container_node *Cnode_t
 }
 
 type process_t struct {
@@ -245,7 +246,8 @@ func (interp *Interp) Execute(node_head *Cnode_t) (*string, error) {
 			break
 		}
 
-		v, err = interp.eval_atom_node(node.child)
+		//v, err = interp.eval_node_child(node.child)
+		v, err = interp.eval_node_child(node)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}