diff --git a/src/compare/error.rs b/src/compare/error.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eb23965
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/compare/error.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+use nom::error::ErrorKind;
+use nom::error::ParseError;
+use nom::IResult;
+
+pub type Res<T, U> = IResult<T, U, CustomError<T>>;
+
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq)]
+pub enum CustomError<I> {
+    MyError(MyError<I>),
+    Nom(I, ErrorKind),
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, PartialEq)]
+pub struct MyError<I>(pub I);
+
+impl<I> ParseError<I> for CustomError<I> {
+    fn from_error_kind(input: I, kind: ErrorKind) -> Self {
+        CustomError::Nom(input, kind)
+    }
+
+    fn append(_input: I, _kind: ErrorKind, mut other: Self) -> Self {
+        // Doesn't do append like VerboseError
+        other
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/compare/mod.rs b/src/compare/mod.rs
index e694bcb..d2ae927 100644
--- a/src/compare/mod.rs
+++ b/src/compare/mod.rs
@@ -1,2 +1,4 @@
+mod error;
 mod parse;
+mod sexp;
 pub use parse::emacs_parse_org_document;
diff --git a/src/compare/parse.rs b/src/compare/parse.rs
index 79633a9..89367c7 100644
--- a/src/compare/parse.rs
+++ b/src/compare/parse.rs
@@ -1,7 +1,20 @@
 use std::path::Path;
 use std::process::Command;
 
+use crate::compare::sexp::sexp;
+
 pub fn emacs_parse_org_document<'a, C>(file_path: C) -> Result<String, Box<dyn std::error::Error>>
+where
+    C: AsRef<Path>,
+{
+    let org_sexp = emacs_parse_org_document_to_sexp(file_path)?;
+    let parsed_sexp = sexp(org_sexp.as_str()).expect("Parse failure");
+    todo!()
+}
+
+fn emacs_parse_org_document_to_sexp<'a, C>(
+    file_path: C,
+) -> Result<String, Box<dyn std::error::Error>>
 where
     C: AsRef<Path>,
 {
diff --git a/src/compare/sexp.rs b/src/compare/sexp.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d50dbdb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/compare/sexp.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+use nom::branch::alt;
+use nom::bytes::complete::tag;
+use nom::bytes::complete::take_till1;
+use nom::character::complete::multispace0;
+use nom::character::complete::multispace1;
+use nom::multi::separated_list1;
+
+use super::error::Res;
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub enum Token<'s> {
+    Atom(&'s str),
+    List(Vec<Token<'s>>),
+}
+
+#[tracing::instrument(ret, level = "debug")]
+pub fn sexp<'s>(input: &'s str) -> Res<&'s str, Token<'s>> {
+    let (remaining, _) = multispace0(input)?;
+    let (remaining, tkn) = token(remaining)?;
+    let (remaining, _) = multispace0(remaining)?;
+    Ok((remaining, tkn))
+}
+
+#[tracing::instrument(ret, level = "debug")]
+fn token<'s>(input: &'s str) -> Res<&'s str, Token<'s>> {
+    alt((list, atom))(input)
+}
+
+#[tracing::instrument(ret, level = "debug")]
+fn list<'s>(input: &'s str) -> Res<&'s str, Token<'s>> {
+    let (remaining, opening_paren) = tag("(")(input)?;
+    let (remaining, children) = separated_list1(multispace1, token)(remaining)?;
+    let (remaining, closing_paren) = tag(")")(remaining)?;
+    Ok((remaining, Token::List(children)))
+}
+
+#[tracing::instrument(ret, level = "debug")]
+fn atom<'s>(input: &'s str) -> Res<&'s str, Token<'s>> {
+    unquoted_atom(input)
+}
+
+#[tracing::instrument(ret, level = "debug")]
+fn unquoted_atom<'s>(input: &'s str) -> Res<&'s str, Token<'s>> {
+    let (remaining, body) = take_till1(|c| match c {
+        ' ' | '\t' | '\r' | '\n' => true,
+        _ => false,
+    })(input)?;
+    Ok((remaining, Token::Atom(body)))
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn simple() {
+        let input = "  (foo bar baz )  ";
+        let (remaining, parsed) = sexp(input).expect("Parse the input");
+        assert_eq!(remaining, "");
+        assert!(match parsed {
+            Token::Atom(_) => false,
+            Token::List(_) => true,
+        });
+    }
+}