diff --git a/pollen/private/debug.rkt b/pollen/private/debug.rkt
deleted file mode 100644
index be47a7d..0000000
--- a/pollen/private/debug.rkt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,76 +0,0 @@
-#lang racket/base
-(require (for-syntax racket/base racket/syntax))
-(require racket/date racket/string)
-(require sugar/debug sugar/define)
-
-(provide  (all-from-out sugar/debug))
-
-; todo: contracts, tests, docs
-
-; debug utilities
-(define months (list "Jan" "Feb" "Mar" "Apr" "May" "Jun" "Jul" "Aug" "Sep" "Oct" "Nov" "Dec"))
-
-(define last-message-time #f)
-(define (seconds-since-last-message)
-  (define now (current-seconds))
-  (define then last-message-time)
-  (set! last-message-time now)
-  (if then      
-      (- now then)
-      "0"))
-
-(define (zero-fill str count)
-  (set! str (format "~a" str))
-  (if (> (string-length str) count)
-      str
-      (string-append (make-string (- count (string-length str)) #\0) str)))
-
-(define+provide (make-datestamp)
-  (define date (current-date))
-  (define date-fields (map (λ (x) (zero-fill x 2)) 
-                           (list
-                            (date-day date)
-                            (list-ref months (sub1 (date-month date)))
-                            (date-year date)
-                            )))
-  (string-join date-fields "-"))
-
-(define+provide (make-timestamp)  
-  (define date (current-date))
-  (define time-fields (map (λ (x) (zero-fill x 2)) 
-                           (list
-                            ; (date-day date)
-                            ; (list-ref months (sub1 (date-month date)))
-                            (if (<= (date-hour date) 12)
-                                (date-hour date) ; am hours + noon hour
-                                (modulo (date-hour date) 12)) ; pm hours after noon hour
-                            (date-minute date)
-                            (date-second date))))  
-  (string-append (string-join time-fields ":") (if (< (date-hour date) 12) "am" "pm")))
-
-(define (make-debug-timestamp)
-  (format "[~a ∆~as]" (make-timestamp) (seconds-since-last-message)))
-
-;; creates pollen-logger and associated functions:
-;; log-pollen-fatal, log-pollen-error, log-pollen-warning, 
-;; log-pollen-info, and log-pollen-debug
-(define-logger pollen) 
-
-(define-syntax (make-message-logger-functions stx)
-  (syntax-case stx ()
-    [(_ stem)
-     (with-syntax ([message-stem (format-id stx "message-~a" #'stem)]
-                   [log-pollen-stem (format-id stx "log-pollen-~a" #'stem)])
-       #'(begin
-           ;; does file have particular extension
-           (define+provide (message-stem . items)
-             (log-pollen-stem (string-join `(,(make-debug-timestamp) ,@(map (λ (x)(if (string? x) x (format "~v" x))) items)))))))]))
-
-(make-message-logger-functions fatal)
-(make-message-logger-functions error)
-(make-message-logger-functions warning)
-(make-message-logger-functions info)
-(make-message-logger-functions debug)
-
-(define+provide (message . items)
-             (displayln (string-join `(,@(map (λ (x)(if (string? x) x (format "~v" x))) items)))))
diff --git a/pollen/private/log.rkt b/pollen/private/log.rkt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d8ae533
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pollen/private/log.rkt
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+#lang racket/base
+(require racket/format
+         racket/string
+         "external/logging.rkt")
+
+(provide (all-defined-out) (all-from-out "external/logging.rkt"))
+
+;; creates `pollen-logger` and associated functions:
+;; log-pollen-fatal, log-pollen-error, log-pollen-warning, 
+;; log-pollen-info, and log-pollen-debug
+(define-logger pollen) 
+
+(define (message . items)
+  (log-pollen-info (string-join (map ~a items) " ")))