diff --git a/draw.rkt b/draw.rkt
index ea6046e..b24a57d 100644
--- a/draw.rkt
+++ b/draw.rkt
@@ -337,15 +337,15 @@
       (if (raart? col) col (text (~a col))))))
 
 (define (para mw s #:halign [halign 'left])
-  (para* mw (map text (string-split s " ")) #:halign halign))
-(define (para* mw rs #:halign [halign 'left])
+  (para* mw (map text (string-split s " ")) #:halign halign #:gap (text " ")))
+(define (para* mw rs #:halign [halign 'left] #:gap [gap (blank)])
   (for/fold ([all-rows (list (blank))]
              #:result
              (vappend* #:halign halign (reverse all-rows)))
             ([r (in-list rs)])
     (match-define (cons last-row rows) all-rows)
     (if (< (+ (raart-w last-row) (raart-w r)) mw)
-      (cons (happend last-row (text " ") r) rows)
+      (cons (happend last-row gap r) rows)
       (cons r all-rows))))
 
 (define (draw-here r)
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@
              (#:halign halign/c)
              raart?)]
   [para* (->* (exact-nonnegative-integer? (listof raart?))
-              (#:halign halign/c)
+              (#:halign halign/c #:gap raart?)
               raart?)]
   [if-drawn (-> (-> exact-nonnegative-integer? exact-nonnegative-integer?
                     exact-nonnegative-integer? exact-nonnegative-integer?
diff --git a/raart.scrbl b/raart.scrbl
index 20ae5d2..cacc74c 100644
--- a/raart.scrbl
+++ b/raart.scrbl
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ raart?]{Like @racket[happend], but accepts arguments as a list.
 
 @ex[(draw-here (para 45 "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."))]}
 
-@defproc[(para* [max-width exact-nonnegative-integer?] [rs (listof raart?)] [#:halign halign halign/c 'left]) raart?]{Like @racket[happend*], but limits the total width and uses @racket[vappend] when things get too long. @racket[para] uses this after splitting the input string into words.}
+@defproc[(para* [max-width exact-nonnegative-integer?] [rs (listof raart?)] [#:halign halign halign/c 'left] [#:gap gap raart? (blank)]) raart?]{Like @racket[happend*], but limits the total width and uses @racket[vappend] when things get too long. @racket[para] uses this after splitting the input string into words and supplies @racket[(text " ")] as the @racket[gap].}
 
 @defproc[(place-at [back raart?] [dr exact-nonnegative-integer?] [dh
 exact-nonnegative-integer?] [front raart?]) raart?]{Renders