The Next Three Stanzas of Black Earth by Marianne Moore

In view was a

Renaissance; shall I say

         The contrary?  The sediment of the river which

         Encrusts my joints, makes me very gray but I am used

To it, it may

Remain there; do away

         With it and I am myself done away with, for the

         Patina of circumstance can but enrich what was

There to begin

With.  This elephant skin

         Which I inhabit, fibered over like the shell of

         The coco-nut, this piece of black glass through which no light

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The sediment of the river which encrusts my joints. I mean, that's fire. The word 'encrusts'? Incredible. Whenever my knees or shoulders or hips pop now I'm going to think about the sediment of the river which encrusts my joints. 

The poem seems to be about growing older. This also gives me more reason to talk about my cyst. Sorry not sorry if you're not a fan of Snacks. I really like the phrase, 'it may remain there;'. Aging is inevitable but the speaker is so accepting of it that they are giving permission for it to occur. 

And then the incredible line, 'for the patina of circumstance can but enrich what was there to begin with.'

A patina is like when copper turns green. Some metals get this film on them that is synonymous with age and whatnot. And the poem is saying that these signs of age are NOT a subtraction from some ideal of youth or perfection but the things that happen to you over the course of your life and blemishes and cysts and turning gray and having bad toenails can ONLY enrich what was there to begin with. 

Your true essence and self is drawn out in its fullest form by time spent living and being part of the world. 

The line that's split between this section of the poem and previous one is 

the blemishes stand up and shout when the object

In view was a

Renaissance; shall I say

         The contrary?

I think renaissance is referring to a classical kind of marble statue pristine beauty and the poem is saying when you look at something like that then all of the imperfections immediately jump out at you. But then the line, 'shall I say the contrary?' so the poem is going to refute that idea and say why the blemishes ARE the beauty. 

The thing that really stands out to me is the strong sense of self and ownership of the self. It's a powerful 'I'. A reverent 'I'. Marianne Moore is really really cool.