diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index af2d4f6..ba42ab4 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2,7 +2,8 @@ VERSION ?= $(shell git describe --tags --always --dirty | sed s'/dirty/dev/')
 TEMPLATES := $(shell find src/ -type f)
 .DEFAULT_GOAL := help
 
-msg = $(call tprint,{a.bold}==>{a.end} {a.magenta}$(1){a.end} {a.bold}<=={a.end})
+msgfmt = {a.style('==>','bold')} {a.style('$(1)','b_magenta')} {a.style('<==','bold')}
+msg = $(call tprint,$(call msgfmt ,$(1)))
 
 ### task.mk development | args: --divider --align center
 
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@ test-bash:
 define mlmsg
 {a.b_yellow}
 It can even be multiline!{a.end}
-and styles can be defined{a.end}
+{a.style('and styles can be defined','red')}
 as python {a.bold}f-string{a.end} literals
 {a.end}
 endef
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ define USAGE
 {a.$(HEADER_COLOR)}usage:{a.end}
 	make <recipe>
 
-  Turn your {a.b_magenta}`Makefile`{a.end} into
+  Turn your {a.style('`Makefile`','b_magenta')} into
   the {a.italic}{a.underline}task runner{a.end} you always needed.
   See the example output below.
 
diff --git a/src/ansi.py b/src/ansi.py
index 87d959a..83bd470 100644
--- a/src/ansi.py
+++ b/src/ansi.py
@@ -80,6 +80,13 @@ class Ansi:
 
         return code + end
 
+    def style(self, text, style):
+        if style not in self.__dict__:
+            print(f"unknown style {style}")
+            sys.exit(1)
+        else:
+            return f"{self.__dict__[style]}{text}{self.__dict__['end']}"
+
 
 a = ansi = Ansi()
 #% endblock %#
diff --git a/src/help.py b/src/help.py
index ccba3c2..da68ed1 100644
--- a/src/help.py
+++ b/src/help.py
@@ -5,9 +5,12 @@ import argparse
 from collections import namedtuple
 import os
 import re
+from typing import Any
 
 ##- '$(ansi_py)' -##
 
+ansi: Any
+
 MaxLens = namedtuple("MaxLens", "goal msg")
 
 # double dollar signs to prevent make escaping them
@@ -45,9 +48,9 @@ def parse_make(file):
 
 def print_goal(goal, msg, max_goal_len):
     print(
-        f"  {ansi.$(GOAL_COLOR)}{goal:>{max_goal_len}}{ansi.end}"
-        " $(HELP_SEP) "
-        f"{ansi.$(MSG_COLOR)}{msg}{ansi.end}"
+        ansi.style(f"  {goal:>{max_goal_len}}", "$(GOAL_COLOR)")
+        + " $(HELP_SEP) "
+        + ansi.style(msg, "$(MSG_COLOR)")
     )
 
 
@@ -56,15 +59,17 @@ def print_rawmsg(msg, argstr, maxlens):
     if msg:
         if args.align == "sep":
             print(
-                f"{' '*(maxlens.goal+len('$(HELP_SEP)')+4)}{ansi.$(MSG_COLOR)}{msg}{ansi.end}"
+                f"{' '*(maxlens.goal+len('$(HELP_SEP)')+4)}{ansi.style(msg,'$(MSG_COLOR)')}"
             )
         elif args.align == "center":
-            print(f"  {ansi.$(MSG_COLOR)}{msg.center(sum(maxlens))}{ansi.end}")
+            print(f"  {ansi.style(msg.center(sum(maxlens)),'$(MSG_COLOR)')}")
         else:
-            print(f"  {ansi.$(MSG_COLOR)}{msg}{ansi.end}")
+            print(f"  {ansi.style(msg,'$(MSG_COLOR)')}")
     if args.divider:
         print(
-            f"{ansi.$(DIVIDER_COLOR)}  {'─'*(len('$(HELP_SEP)')+sum(maxlens)+2)}{ansi.end}"
+            ansi.style(
+                f"  {'─'*(len('$(HELP_SEP)')+sum(maxlens)+2)}", "$(DIVIDER_COLOR)"
+            )
         )
 
 
@@ -81,12 +86,6 @@ def print_help():
             print_goal(item["goal"], item["msg"], maxlens.goal)
         if "rawmsg" in item:
             print_rawmsg(item["rawmsg"], item.get("args", ""), maxlens)
-        if len(item) == 1 and "args" in item:
-            args, unknown = rawargs(item["args"])
-            if args.divider:
-                print(
-                    "  " + "─" * (len("$(HELP_SEP)") + maxlens.goal + maxlens.msg + 2)
-                )
 
     print(f"""$(EPILOG)""")
 
diff --git a/task.mk b/task.mk
index a01f9a1..7fab46d 100644
--- a/task.mk
+++ b/task.mk
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # }> [github.com/daylinmorgan/task.mk] <{ #
 # Copyright (c) 2022 Daylin Morgan
 # MIT License
-# version: v22.9.12-3-gcf1233a-dev
+# version: v22.9.12-4-g037e474-dev
 #
 # task.mk should be included at the bottom of your Makefile.
 # See below for the standard configuration options that should be set prior to including this file.
@@ -99,9 +99,12 @@ import argparse
 from collections import namedtuple
 import os
 import re
+from typing import Any
 
 $(ansi_py)
 
+ansi: Any
+
 MaxLens = namedtuple("MaxLens", "goal msg")
 
 # double dollar signs to prevent make escaping them
@@ -114,6 +117,7 @@ def rawargs(argstring):
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
     parser.add_argument("-a", "--align")
     parser.add_argument("-d", "--divider", action="store_true")
+    parser.add_argument("-ws","--whitespace",action="store_true")
     return parser.parse_known_args(argstring.split())
 
 
@@ -139,9 +143,9 @@ def parse_make(file):
 
 def print_goal(goal, msg, max_goal_len):
     print(
-        f"  {ansi.$(GOAL_COLOR)}{goal:>{max_goal_len}}{ansi.end}"
-        " $(HELP_SEP) "
-        f"{ansi.$(MSG_COLOR)}{msg}{ansi.end}"
+        ansi.style(f"  {goal:>{max_goal_len}}", "$(GOAL_COLOR)")
+        + " $(HELP_SEP) "
+        + ansi.style(msg, "$(MSG_COLOR)")
     )
 
 
@@ -150,16 +154,20 @@ def print_rawmsg(msg, argstr, maxlens):
     if msg:
         if args.align == "sep":
             print(
-                f"{' '*(maxlens.goal+len('$(HELP_SEP)')+4)}{ansi.$(MSG_COLOR)}{msg}{ansi.end}"
+                f"{' '*(maxlens.goal+len('$(HELP_SEP)')+4)}{ansi.style(msg,'$(MSG_COLOR)')}"
             )
         elif args.align == "center":
-            print(f"  {ansi.$(MSG_COLOR)}{msg.center(sum(maxlens))}{ansi.end}")
+            print(f"  {ansi.style(msg.center(sum(maxlens)),'$(MSG_COLOR)')}")
         else:
-            print(f"  {ansi.$(MSG_COLOR)}{msg}{ansi.end}")
+            print(f"  {ansi.style(msg,'$(MSG_COLOR)')}")
     if args.divider:
         print(
-            f"{ansi.$(DIVIDER_COLOR)}  {'─'*(len('$(HELP_SEP)')+sum(maxlens)+2)}{ansi.end}"
+            ansi.style(
+                f"  {'─'*(len('$(HELP_SEP)')+sum(maxlens)+2)}", "$(DIVIDER_COLOR)"
+            )
         )
+    if args.whitespace:
+        print()
 
 
 def print_help():
@@ -175,12 +183,6 @@ def print_help():
             print_goal(item["goal"], item["msg"], maxlens.goal)
         if "rawmsg" in item:
             print_rawmsg(item["rawmsg"], item.get("args", ""), maxlens)
-        if len(item) == 1 and "args" in item:
-            args, unknown = rawargs(item["args"])
-            if args.divider:
-                print(
-                    "  " + "─" * (len("$(HELP_SEP)") + maxlens.goal + maxlens.msg + 2)
-                )
 
     print(f"""$(EPILOG)""")
 
@@ -270,6 +272,13 @@ class Ansi:
 
         return code + end
 
+    def style(self, text, style):
+        if style not in self.__dict__:
+            print(f"unknown style {style}")
+            sys.exit(1)
+        else:
+            return f"{self.__dict__[style]}{text}{self.__dict__['end']}"
+
 
 a = ansi = Ansi()