A RECLUSIVE Poole poet who died alone has been mourned across the globe by an online community now fighting to preserve her legacy.

Margaret Griffiths, who died aged just 62, had no known family, and just a handful of people attended her funeral.

But, through the online poetry forums where she posted her work under the pen names Maz or Grasshopper, she won a wealth of respect and friendship.

Tributes from as far afield as Australia, Greece and across the United States flooded into poetry forum Eratosphere after news of her death, and forum members began scouring the web to find and preserve her poetry.

Janet Kenny, from Queensland, wrote: “Dear, dear Maz. I loved and respected her. How sad to know that her clear and beautiful and funny mind is no longer with us.”

Others praised her insightful critiques, her poise and wit.

Fellow contributor and businessman David Anthony, CEO of Hitachi Capital, has been entrusted with the task of pursuing the publication of her work.

He said Margaret’s talent was recognised during her lifetime, and a publisher had pursued her for years. But now her solicitors were trying to trace her next of kin for permission for her poetry to be published posthumously.

Mr Anthony added: “She wasn’t interested in being well-known, but I think she would be delighted that her legacy in the form of a collection of her work survived her.”

He added that she had not appeared reclusive through the internet, but a “bright, alert entertaining mind” and a “highly regarded” poet.

Margaret’s closest friend was David Adkins, from Buckinghamshire, who regularly spoke to and saw her.

He said she had worked as a doctor’s receptionist, but given up work to care for her mother and then her father through long illnesses.

She had been dogged by ill health and periods of depression, but was “a loving, kind, gentle person who gave so much to others in return for so little.”