Immersed in barley!

Sometimes a crop the farmer sows,
then clears a line where the footpath goes
across his field.
Sometimes he leaves the crop to grow
and thinks the walkers all will go
across and trample down that bit, and so
others  the footpath’s track will know.
But if it’s little used – see barley sway …

Maybe we’ll just walk around the field today?
But it’s so very big – no way!
We’ll have to ‘pioneer’, try not to stray.

Below our feet the ground is cracked and hard,
 it is not easy moving forward –
"oops!" – where has she gone – “down here”,
the barley’s tall;
and then we track and shuffle, steer
together, hands on his hips … 
It is so far, does the hedge ahead look nearer yet?
patience, perseverance, and we will get
there soon …
and looking back
the barley sways, no sign to see of our intruding trek!