creating "jsp-like" tool with python

[jd]

I'd like to create a program that takes files with "jsp-like" markup
and processes the embedded code (which would be python) to produce the
output file.  There would be two kinds of sections in the markup file:
python code to be evaluated, and python code that returns a value that
would be inserted into the output.

This seems like it would be straightforward in python, and maybe
there's even a library that I could use for this, but as a newbie to
Python, I don't know the landscape very well.  I am not looking for a
big framework, just something small and simple that will do just this
job.  Suggestions or pointers would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks...

-- jeff