Laid or lay?

Question

In the following sentence, should it be "laid" or "lay" -- Further still, an impossible journey away, laid America

AlpheccaStars · Accepted Answer

Is the paragraph (where the sentence is from) written in present tense or past tense?

Anonymous · Answer

the present tense

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Then, use the present tense - lay.

Avangi · Answer

AlpheccaStarsThen, use the present tense - lay.

I'm not sure I understand.
Isn't the present tense, "lies"?

Yesterday, America lay just over the horizon.
Today, America lies just over the horizon.

Yankee · Answer

Or we could just put it this way:
The original poster should definitely not use is 'laid'.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

Thanks, Avangi. It's oops, my mistake.
I got the word right, but the tense wrong.
Lay (past tense of lie...)

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